


Sins of the Past

by Anniebee420



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 13:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13952931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anniebee420/pseuds/Anniebee420
Summary: She was a memory from his past. The one good thing in his life besides his sister. She didn't remember him but for some strange reason wanted to help him. Snart's sister goes missing and he needs help getting her back. That doesn't explain her unsettling reaction to his touch or how connected her dark past is to it. A companion piece to The Four Times That They Met.





	1. Three Times The Charm

She couldn’t believe she had let it happen again.  This being the third time one would think that one would learn yet here she was once again.  At the very least she thought she would have been better at avoiding the situation and yet she wasn’t, apparently.  She pulled on her restraints once more finding them even tighter than the previous attempts.  Either they were getting smarter or she was losing her touch.  Something she would never ever willingly admit. They had even bound her legs, not that she really blamed them.  The last time she had gone down kicking and screaming. She had given one a broken nose and the other a black eye.  Currently she was looking into those eyes.  Those intense cold blue eyes, those eyes that tried so hard not to show any emotion.  But she knew that there was so much more to him.  It kept it buried deep and kept it hidden from prying eyes but she knew different.  He couldn’t hide from her.  No one could, that was her curse.

            She felt the all too familiar buzz that started at the back of her head as she started to let her guard down.  She grimaced at the pain as the pain turned into a full blown migraine. Her capture noticed her discomfort and patted her knee which caused her to jerk away in response.  She didn’t like being touched especially by him.  It brought on a lot of unwanted, strong emotions, memories of her hellish childhood and more importantly it caused her ability to go into over drive. Something about his touch left her with feelings she couldn’t or even want to identify.  He frowned ever so slightly at her reaction to him with a sudden flicker of concern which was gone in seconds being replaced by his signature smirk.

            “Comfortable Kitten?”  He asked her in his cold calculating voice. She hated when he called her that.  It felt too familiar, to personal and she hated the way it made her feel.  She tried pushing that thought out of her head and fixed him with the deadliest look she could muster. This earned her a snarky chuckle as he leaned forward looking into her very angry eyes.

            “You don’t like it when I call you that do you kitten?”  She tried to kick out her foot but then remembered… she couldn’t.  This only frustrated her more.  He sighed slightly and leaned in even more.  She tried to lean back but couldn’t because of the chair digging into her back.

            “You know if you behaved we wouldn’t have to do this.”  She shifted ever so slightly and tried casting her eyes downward but he suddenly and surprisingly gently lifted her chin so that she was looking at him again.  She tried to jerk away but he held her firm.  “Don’t do that.”  He almost sounded hurt…almost.  “I’m not going to hurt you.  I never would but I need information and you are the one who can get it for me.  So if you can behave I will remove this and we can talk.”  He said looking down at the tape he had secured over her mouth.  True it was there because of the screaming and name calling, she had done earlier.  She did have a bit of a temper after all. He gently removed the tape and sat back.

            “Now let’s talk.”

            “You’re a bastard!”  She spit at him her voice laced with venom.

            “I’ve been called worse… by you.  So let’s get started shall we.”

            “I hate you!”

            “Yes we established that.”

            “I hope you go to hell!”

            “Already been there.  You done?”

            “I’m not going to tell you anything so go…”  She couldn’t finished because he had placed the tape back over her mouth.

            “You know Miss McAllister I’m usually a very patient man but you are certainly trying mine.  Now we are going to try this again and you will answer me.”  He removed the tape once more.

            “You’re a…”  He held up his finger to stop her.

            “Choose your words very carefully Kitten.”  She glared at him even more if that was possible, before she answered.

            “I have to pee.”

            “You have to…”He looked at her as if trying to figure out if she was serious or not.  She managed a look of innocence and stared at him.  He gave a look in return before getting up quickly and spun around heading toward the door way. 

            “Mick!  Take her to the bathroom and make sure this one doesn’t have a window!”  He shouted as he stormed out of the room.  If she hadn’t been so angry she would have smiled in victory.  Instead she watched the entrance way as she waited for her next captor to make an appearance.  Sure enough a few seconds later the bigger, scarier and crazier one stepped in.  He regarded her for a minute before he stepped closer, a twisted smile on his face.

            “You’re not going to give me a hard time are you sweetheart?”  It was more of a statement.  She just stared straight ahead willing herself not to show any emotions.  He approached her, untying her legs and hands grabbing her upper arm in a tight grip.  Pulling her up he quickly escorted her to a small room.  She didn’t fight, he would have expected that.  They stepped in front of a door and he shoved her in. 

            “You have five minutes then I’m coming in.”  He said as he slammed the door shut. She then took a deep shaky breath and looked around the room.  It was indeed a bathroom, a small one with a short mirror, a tiny porcelain sink and a toilet to the right of it. What was missing however was a window which meant no escape, from this room at least.

            After she finished she washed her hands and looked at her reflection in the mirror.  What looked back at her was scary and almost crazy looking.  She tried to tame her fiery red hair as it stuck up in unruly curls around her head.  She had dark circles under her hazel eyes and she seemed pale.  But what caught her attention the most was just how pissed she looked.  Not just at them but at herself.  She was mad for letting herself get kidnapped yet again by the same two people.  Why wouldn’t they just leave her alone?  What was it about her that they wanted?

            She looked around the room once more to see if she could use anything as a weapon but it had been picked clean of everything but the essentials.  She looked at her reflection once more and took another deep breath.  She had to calm herself enough so that she could form an escape plan.  She was so deep in thought that when she heard the sharp rap on the door she jumped.

            “Time’s up Sweetheart!”  The raspy voice yelled through the door.  She backed away from it cramming her body in the space furthest from the door. She knew she couldn’t get out but she sure wasn’t going to make it easy for either one of them.  She made herself as small as possible by wedging herself between the wall and the toilet.  She heard a growl of frustration and the knob started to turn.  “You can’t make it easy, can you?”  He went to open the door just as a commotion started.  She could hear shouting and what she assumed was gun fire.  She heard as Mick ran toward the noise leaving an opportunity for her to move.  She untangled herself from her spot and made her way to the door opening it just a crack.  She could still hear the noises from the other room but saw no one in the immediate area.  Slipping out she looked around for an exit or even a window. The only door was over near the current firefight. The yelling and commotion intensified and she figured that being out in the open was not her best laid plan. She looked around the room and spied some crates near the far end.  Thinking she could at the very least she could hide behind them.  It beat hiding in the bathroom and from there she would have a good vantage point.  She quickly made her way over and squeezed her way between the wall and the crates and discovered that she had a very clear view of the door way.  She could still hear the shouting and she saw the occasional blast from them various weapons.  She knew she had to get out of there but for the time being she was blocked.  She looked around at her surrounding once again for an alternative escape route.  Then she noticed something to the left of her, a small vent which she hoped would eventually lead to the outside.  At the very least a way to escape in some capacity. She quickly ran over to the vent and went to work on prying it open.  After a few minutes, it sprung loose in her hands.  She quickly crawled in the small space, ignoring how tight it was and the many cob webs as she scooted forwards. She had made it about eight feet in when she heard voices behind her. She tried to fasten the pace but due to the cramped space it was proving difficult.

            “Well I have to give her credit, she is determined.” Mick said as he ducked down to watch her escape.

            “True but she is going to like this even less.”  Snart added as he too bent to watch her.  “Hey Kitten sorry about this but you need to move that cute little ass of yours because were coming in.”

            “Nope, this is my escape! Go find your own!” She shouted behind her as she moved forward even more picking up her pace as she crawled forward on her hands and knees.  She wanted as far away from them as possible.  She heard him chuckle slightly as he crawled in after her.

            “Sorry Kitten but it’s the only option.”  She went to turn a corner but suddenly came up short.

            “Shit!”  She mumbled to herself as she found herself suddenly stuck.

            “What seems to be the problem?”  His voice suddenly much closer than she wanted it to be.  She tried wiggling again but still no movement. “I say again, what is the problem?”  His voice laced in sarcasm. She let out a frustrated groan and then went to unbuckle her pants.  At this point modesty was a moot point and she would be willing to do just about anything to make her way out of her situation. That was until she suddenly felt a cool hand touch her upper thigh causing her to shriek slightly and tried to jerk away.  His hold tightened ever so slightly. “Listen, in about five minutes this place is going to blow along with our friends out there and I for one don’t want to be turned into a roast so a little insight, shall we.”  She let out a frustrated breath.

            “Fine! But hands to yourself!”

            “Only if you are keeping your pants on. I don’t need that distraction right now.  So, tell me, what is the hold up!?”  His voiced raised ever so slightly.

            You two want to finish this lovers spat another time?”  Mick called from behind.

            “Mick!” Snart shouted back at the same time she said Oi!”

            “Just saying it’s a little tight in here and we are running out of time.  I’m guessing she’s stuck.”  She could hear Snart’s heavy sigh as he moved his hand off her thigh and up her body.

            “What in the hell do you think you are doing?”  She shouted back to him.  Her body still from shock and not really loving her reaction to his suddenly wondering hand.

            “Believe me or not but I am trying to help you kitten.  So why don’t you just hold still.”  She tried not to move as his hand found her belt loop that was stuck on a screw that had been sticking out.  His hand grazing her bare waist where her shirt had ridden up.  It felt as if a surge of electricity suddenly jolted her body.  She shivered slightly and gasped involuntarily. His hand stilled just as suddenly and for a few seconds nether one moved.  He then did something that she wouldn’t have seen coming a mile away.  He ever so gently squeezed her bare waist.

            “All set.”  He said in a thick voice laced with sarcasm but something else added.  She just wasn’t sure what it was.  It was a good thing that she was facing forward because she could feel her face heat up.  She mentally cursed herself as she quickly jerked away again and resumed her hurried retreat through the vent shaft. In her mind the tunnel seemed to be getting smaller and smaller the longer she was in there. She started to breathe through her nose and mouth to keep her panic at bay as she continued to keep her neck breaking speed at the urging of the two criminals behind her.  Finally, she came across another grate and with a final push could pop it open and half falling out onto the ground.  She didn’t waste any time as she got up and started to run only to find herself coming up short as Snart grabbed her by the arm dragging her with him.

            “This way!”  He hissed at her. She thought about struggling but the sound of approaching gun fire kept her from it, so she let him drag her along.  Within seconds they hit a door that lead to the outside. 

            It was dark and she stumbled slightly only to be yanked up again.  Just as suddenly she was thrown to the ground again with a weight on top of her as an ear-splitting explosion broke the otherwise quiet night.  She closed her eyes tight and covered her ears with her hands, she felt a hand holding her head down as the debris fell around them.  Then there was a dead silent.  All she heard was the heavy beating of her own heart.  The weight that had held her down was suddenly gone and she was pulled into a sitting position.  She shook her head to get rid of the ringing in her ears and she looked around.  The building she had just vacated was nothing more than a pile of rubble.  She saw her two captors a few feet from her arguing about their next move.

            “The car was supposed to be here Snart!”  Mick yelled at his partner.

            “Well it’s not!”

            “And what do we do with her now!?  She saw everything?”

            “We still need her.  She comes with us.” She didn’t wait to hear the rest because she took that opportunity to run, blindly, in the dark.  Not her smartest idea but she had to get away. 

She ran for as long as she could and stopped needing to catch her breath. Stopping behind a tree she drew in several deep low breaths and listened to see if she had been followed.  She listened for a few minutes and all she heard was the sounds of the night.  After a few more minutes, she got up and continued stumbling through the dark forest.  She knew a road couldn’t be that far off and briefly thought about waiting until day break.  Her next few steps discovered the edge of the road.  If she wasn’t so tired she would have jumped for joy.  Instead she settled for a week _yay_ barely raising her arm in a tired gestured.  At least with that she could follow the road and find something that resembled civilization.  She dragged her feet along the pavement when she suddenly heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. Sighing in relief she threw her arms up in the air as the headlight appeared in the dark.  She moved to the middle of the road and started jumping up and down waving her arms. 

            “Hey!”  She yelled praying that they saw her before they hit her and stop they did, a mere six inches from where she stood.  She was sure she looked like a deranged animal and probably had al sort of matter in her hair.  She swore that if she shook her head she could hear leaves falling, but she didn’t care as she felt a smile come to her face.  She heard the door come open but due to the headlights she couldn’t see who it was and then it hit her.

            “Well, well, well, what do we have here?”  A very familiar voice echoed through the quiet night air.  Her smile fell and she lowered her still raised arms.

            “Looks like she missed us already.” The other voice answered.

            “Well shit!”  She shouted and turned to run away back into the woods only to be picked up from behind as a pair of arms wrapped around hers pinning them to her side.  She started kicking her legs as she was carried towards the back of the car.

            “Will you hold still!?”  The cold voice behind her said as his arms tightened a little around her.  “Mick get the truck!”  She started to panic.  They were going to lock her in that very small space.  Up until this very minute she was able to keep her panic in check but now she just started pleading, and crying for them to stop. 

            “Please, no!  I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”  She just kept repeating that over and over again trying to pull from his arms.  Instead of being dumped into the trunk like she expected she was put back on her feet and she was spun around.  Her panic tear filled eyes meant his dark cold blue ones.  He still held her arms down but looked at her with an unreadable look.

            “Come on Snart!”  Mick shouted at him, impatience filling his voice. “What are you waiting for!”  He continued to stare at her and she shivered slightly under his intense look.  His expression changed ever so slightly and he then led her to the back door of the obviously stolen car.

            “What are you doing Snart?”  Mick asked again getting increasingly agitated.

            “We are putting her in the back seat.  She won’t cause any more problems, will you Kitten?”  He asked giving her a look of warning. She felt the fight leave her along with a slight sense of relief, she nodded her head in defeat. She looked at her feet fighting off more tears and missing the frown that lined his face.  He opened the door and pushed her inside, putting a hand on her head so she wouldn’t bump it.  These simple little gestures confused her and every time he touched her she felt that little something she couldn’t quite identify.

            As she sat there he crouched down so that they were eye level and took out a pair of hand cuffs and he looked her square in the eye.

            “Just in case you try to run again.”  She didn’t fight him as she snapped one end on her wrist and the other to the door handle. 

            “What do you want with me?” She asked in a quiet tired voice.

            “You have information, information I need that is very important.”  His voice void of any emotion.  She looked up at him with a flicker of anger in her eyes.

            “Did it ever occur to you to just ask?”  She looked at him as a trace of shock flittered across his face.  She then looked away and fixed her gaze out the opposite window.  She just wanted to go home and forget that any of this had happened. A few seconds later the car door was shut and her two captors got in, both still arguing back and forth.  She managed to block them out as she lay her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.  She was trying to block it all out, trying to convince herself that it was all just a really bad nightmare. 

They had been driving for a while and the car had gone quiet. She felt as if she was being watched and opened her eyes just a slit.  She was indeed being watched with cold blue eyes.  It was as if he was trying to figure her out, trying to get inside her head.  She held herself still so that he didn’t know she was watching him watch her.  Suddenly he turned to Mick saying something she couldn’t make out.  A few minutes later the car stopped in a darkened corner of a convenient store parking lot.  Mick got out with a promise of coming back soon.  She opened her eyes and looked out the window trying to gage her location.  It seemed familiar but due to her recent drama she couldn’t quite make the connection. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and realized that Snart had turned around to watch her once again.  She still refused to look at him.  He sighed slightly and opened his door coming to hers and opened it.  He took out a key and started to undo her hand cuffs, she just looked at him in confusion.  He in returned now refused to look at her as he finished his task. 

“You are on Parker Street.  Your apartment is around the corner and two block down.”

“You’re letting me go?”  She asked quietly as she rubbed the wrist that had been shackled.  He suddenly grabbed that wrist with a frown on his face.  He rubbed at the reddened skin and that all too familiar shock ran through her body.  She gasped slightly and tried to pull away.  He tightened his hand for just a second before finally letting it go.  He stood up and grabbed her upper arm helping her from the car as she stood up. 

“You need to go before I change my mind.  And hurry, Mick will be back in a minute.”  She just nodded and turned to go but he still held her arm and spun her around so that she was looking at him again.  He then did something so unexpected that she stood frozen, rooted in her spot.  He tucked a piece of her unruly hair behind her ear and spoke again.

“I would never hurt you Sophie Rose.  I need you to know that.”  He looked at her for a few more seconds before he released her.  She took that moment to slip away telling her self not to look back but she could feel his eyes on her until she turned the corner.  She then ran the two blocks to her apartment, her home, her sanctuary.  It wasn’t until she was locked behind her doors that she was able to catch her breath.  She was confused, angry, and scared.  It was the first time he had used her name and why?  She couldn’t think, couldn’t get a clear thought in her head.  Everything was spinning and not making sense.  It wasn’t until she was in the shower that she dissolved into tears and it wasn’t until her head hit the pillow that she finally fell into a deep sleep and it wasn’t until the next day that she realized that Leonard Snart knew where she lived.

           


	2. An Unwanted Guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Hello everyone! Thanks for checking this out. It was a fun story to write and for those who are wondering this is a companion piece to my Arrow story The Four Times That They Met. This is also a full on Snart/OFC story because who doesn’t love messing around in that world!  Enjoy and let me know what you think.

**Chapter Two**

**An Unwanted Guest**

She woke up the next morning to the sound of her alarm going off.  Funny because she never remembered setting it in the first place.  She looked around her room noticing that it was six am and the sun was just starting to peek up over the horizon letting light softly filter in through the window.  She usually like early mornings but because of recent events she would much rather stay under the covers.  Burying herself under the warmth of her covers she gave a little groan.  She debated calling the police, knowing she should have done so the night before but something held her back.  Maybe because this would be her third time that she had been kidnapped by the same two knot heads.  She was already becoming a joke to the department and she really didn’t need to be if she wanted to be taken seriously.  She also needed to be on good terms with them due to her up and coming business. Sure, everyone at the Central City Police Department was nice enough but she was still an unknown.  Something she hoped to fix in the very near future. Besides she hadn’t been hurt, not really and she really didn’t need or want to relive it.  Just than her bedroom door squeaked open.

“I suppose you want breakfast then?”

“Meow” was the answer as the small black and white cat jumped up on her bed.  She made her way around until she was sitting on top of her master purring and rubbing her with her head.

“Okay you pain, I’m getting up.”  She said with a little giggle. He half fell, half crawled from her warm sanctuary and stretched her tired aching muscles.   She wondered into the kitchen to feed her roommate something that didn’t look appealing at all.

“Yeah well enjoy that.”  She mumbled to the cat that after three months still didn’t have a name other than what she was.  She had found the small creature outside her third story apartment fire escape in the middle of a rain storm.  To this day, she had no idea where she had come from but Sophie had just moved to Central City and the kitten was like a welcome home gift.  The cat rarely left her side.

As the content creature ate her disgusting concoction, Sophie rummaged through her cupboards for her own breakfast.  Finding a box of poptarts she pulled out a raspberry one, her personal favorite and scurried back to her bedroom to prepare for the day.  As she worked on finding cloths for the day her mind drifted back to the night before once again.  She was very confused over the whole thing.  She still wasn’t sure why he had let her go, better yet why was she their current favorite target.  There was nothing special about her, yet time and time again they had taken her and time and time again she was able to get away before finding what they really wanted with her. 

She left her apartment after saying goodbye to Cat making sure it was locked tight and grabbing her bag which held her keys, phone, bug spray, (which doubled as mace) and wallet.  At the bottom was a small gun which she hated but had as a necessity. She had grown up in a rough neighborhood and found that it was always better to be safe than sorry.  In truth, she had never used it. 

She looked down the hallway avoiding the elevator and headed for the stairs.  She always had a strange feeling she was being watched but when she looked behind her she found no one.   She continued down the three flights of stairs and out into the morning light.  Traffic had just started moving and barely anyone was on the street.  She suddenly got a feeling at the base of her neck.  The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she scanned the area around her still not seeing what she was sensing.  Still she hurried around the corner and shook it off as her raw nerves and continued to the local coffee shop Jitters to order her regular before making her way to what would soon be her new business.

What she didn’t realize was that someone was indeed watching her from three stories up, looking at her from her apartment window.  He watched as she disappeared around the corner before scanning the rest of her residence. He looked around her ridiculously neat apartment and found himself holding back a bit of a smile, it was so like her.  He didn’t touch anything, just looked around.  She fascinated him, always had, she made him _feel things_.  He had prided himself on keeping his emotions in check but something about her had him feeling off kilter.  She was a force to be reckoned with, she always had been.  He knew now that she didn’t remember him but he would get her to remember, she had to remember.  She had been a part of his life long before his childhood had gone downhill.  It seemed to be a life time ago but he always remembered the spit fire little redhead who had been his best childhood friend.  Unfortunately, like everything else that had been good in his life she too had been taken away.  It was one of his worst memories as he watched her tear streaked face disappear in the back of the car as they took her away.  That was the day he started to close off his feelings, his heart.  Now he needed her help and up until this point she had proven to be difficult to convince. Now he needed a different approach.  He looked once more around the apartment and smiled to himself as he formulated a plan.  She would do one of two things, kill him or help him.  He hoped it would be the ladder.

            It had been a long day.  Between fielding phone calls, setting up her business and lining up clients she was tired.  It was only a Tuesday and Sophie was ready for the week to end.  She knew however that her work was just beginning.  She and two of her friends had the bright idea of starting up a PI firm.  The idea would be that Sophie would set up shop here in Central City and get things started.  In a few months’ time her friend Ellie, who was a forensic expert in Coast City, would join her.  Her other partner Abby, an expert on cold cases, was currently working in Starling City.  Sophie herself worked missing person cases.  Together the three of them made a rather interesting team.  Something they had caught on quickly when the three of them had meant in a foster home several years before.  Each had a story with a tortured past but each of them seem to click immediately and they had been as close as sisters ever since. 

            Sophie was about four blocks from her apartment when the sky opened up and it started to pour. She looked up at the sky and cursed it and herself for not brining an umbrella.  This was her luck, or lack of as the case turned out to be.  By the time, she made it to the door of her building she was soaked through, shoes sloshing and hair hanging in clumps.  She dug out her key, hurried inside and ran up three flights of stairs.  That was when she got the feeling that something was not quite right and looked down the hallway but once again saw no one.  Cautiously she made her way to her door, fake mace in one hand and keys in the other.  Just as she was about to open the door she noticed the door two down started to open.  She knew she had to hurry because this particular neighbor was nothing short of an annoyance.  She was just about to slip inside when he saw her and called out to her. She mentally cursed herself and turned to face him, depositing her spray back into her bag but keeping her hand on the door knob.

            “Hello beautiful.”  He called out with a big goofy grin.  She thought about rolling her eyes but stood there patently. This man was either really, really desperate or thought he was a lady’s man.

            “Hello Jordan.  What can I do for you?”  She asked her voice dripping with sarcasm which he apparently didn’t catch.

            “A lot actually.”  He stated as his grin got bigger.  “But first let’s start with dinner and then we can go from there.”  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  Here she was dripping wet in the hallway and he was attempting to flirt again.

            “Jordan, I’ll tell you again.  I’m not interested so…” She turned to enter the apartment when he added.

            “Well not today…”  She didn’t let him finish as she snuck pass him and closed the door behind her. She turned around and lock all three locks and rested her head against the door and took a deep breath.  That was when she noticed something smelled good.  Really, really good and it was coming from her kitchen.  She turned around and noticed the light was on and someone was in there cooking. Cooking? In her apartment?  Who in the hell was cooking in her apartment and what where they cooking? Her cupboards where basically bear with nothing much in them but cat food.  She deposited her wet bag shoes and coat quietly on the floor and grabbed the baseball bat she kept near the door.  Dripping wet she walked quietly to the kitchen bat held at the ready.  She peaked around the corner not wanting the person there to know she was behind them. At least until she was sure as to who it was.   She slipped around the corner and was debating her next move when the voice of her _unwanted guest_ spoke.

            “You might want to reconsider doing what you are thinking on doing since I’m feeding you.”  He spoke without turning around but she knew the voice.

            “What in the hell…”  She turned to run away and she was fast but he was faster.  Before she even reached the door way he had used one arm to grab her from behind picking her up.  The other went to her arm holding the bat wrenching it from her hand letting it clatter to the floor. Within seconds he had turned her around with her back up against the wall.  He was invading her space again as he held her there and she couldn’t move.  She meant his blue stare head on.

            “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not going to hurt you.”  He growled at her as he used his arms and body to keep her pinned to the wall.

            “Says the man who keeps kidnapping me.”  She hissed back.  “Let me go or I’ll start screaming.”

            “And what Kitten? Bring that loser from down the hall running?  I don’t think you’re going to do that.”  He was right, she wouldn’t.  She tried wiggling away from him but he stepped even closer, if that was even possible, filling her senses. He always seemed to want to touch her sending her own emotions into over drive.  He never seemed to be a touchy-feely kind of person but with her it seemed to be different.  She felt that familiar buzz in the back of her head and the promise of a headache later on. She felt her whole body flush and her pulse started to race.  Once again, she tried to push away but he just continued to hold her there unmoving staring down at her with those eyes.  Eyes that held a different look than anything she had seen before. Something so familiar and yet not.  The fight seemed to leave her suddenly and she stopped pushing away.

            “Are you finished?” He asked her in a sarcastic laden voice.

            “What do you want from me?” She asked in a tired wiry voice.  He continued to stare at her with that unreadable look.  He surprised her when she suddenly shivered as he ran his hands up and down her arms a few times.  It was almost an absent minded gesture on his part.  When he realized what, he was doing he blinked a few times and dropped his hands stepping away.  She felt like she could suddenly breath again.

            “I decided I needed to heed your advice.  I need information from you.  My tactics aren’t… working so I’m asking….”  He seemed slightly uncomfortable saying those words but she was finally able to recover enough to respond.

            “By breaking into my home and doing what exactly?!”  She asked pointing at the food and such in front of her.

            “Like I said, feeding you.”  He stated in a matter of fact tone.

            “Why?” She asked her voice dipped with skepticism.

            “Because the only thing in your cupboards are poptarts and goldfish crackers.” He had turned back around and stirred what every was in the pot.  She should run, she should call the cops, she should kick his ass but for whatever reason she stayed rooted in her spot.  It smelled so good and she was hating herself at the moment.

            “So, your telling me that you’ve been in my apartment long enough to go through my cupboards, go grocery shopping and make all of this?  What is that anyway?”

            “Yes, yes, yes and you’ll find out.” He still wasn’t looking at her and he was still stirring whatever was in that damn pot.  He was seriously one of the most frustrating people she had ever meant.  She crossed her arms over her chest some out of being cold but also out of frustration.

            “I should call the police.”

            “And yet you don’t.”  He finally stopped stirring and turned around to look at her again.  “Look you have a unique talent for digging up information, something I need.  As hard as this is I need some…assistance.”  She opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her.  “When was the last time you ate anyways? Two maybe three days? Go get out of those wet clothes, eat and then we will talk.”  She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

            “Who the hell are you and what have you done with Leonard Snart?” An amused look pass through his eyes and she swore with a twitch of a smile.  He turned back around.

            “You have got fifteen minutes.”  He said dismissing her.

            “I should still call the cops.”

            “You can’t do it without this.”  He said without turning around pulling her phone from his pocket and setting it beside him on the counter.

            “How in the hell…?” She started to say as she reached for her back pocket. The bastard had pick pocketed her phone.

            “Do you use that word often or is it just on my account?”  She was still contemplated using the bat on his head when she replied.

            “Well you do bring out the best in me.”  She added sarcastically.  She heard a very slight chuckle.

            “Now you have thirteen minutes.” He said dismissing her again.

            “Now you have thirteen minutes.”  She mimicked him and turned around throwing her hands up in defeat. “Fine!”

            “Giving up so soon Kitten?”  He asked to her retreating back.  She mumbled a few choice words under her breath.

            “Didn’t catch that.”  His voice laced with amusement.  Her response was the slamming of her bedroom door.  For good measures, she pushed her dresser in front of it.  She gathered her clothes and made her way to her bathroom locking that door as well.  She muttered the whole time making up new names to call him, none of them very nice.  She then started calling herself every other name and wondering why she wasn’t running and screaming for the hills.  The man who had kidnapped her on three separate occasions was currently cooking in her kitchen.   Why hadn’t she tried to get away? Maybe it was curiosity, maybe something more but which ever it was it wasn’t a sane reason by any means.  She decided she was going to take her time just to spite him, so instead of fifteen minutes she took twenty.  After a shower, she slipped into her favorite flannel pants and matching shirt before coming out of the bathroom towel drying her hair.  She walked to her vanity and grabbed her brush.  She glanced in the mirror and nearly had a heart attack.  She whipped around dropping both her towel and brush with a clatter to the floor. 

            “How in the hell did you get in here and yes I said hell?!”  Snart leaned against her dresser with an unreadable look.  Somehow, he had moved it back to its original spot.

            “Your late.” He simply stated.

            “By five minutes!  What are you my keeper?”

            “Making sure you didn’t run off again.  You do that a lot.”  She sighed tired and not in the mood to get into another verbal sparring match with him. She rubbed her forehead and bent to retrieve her brush from the floor.

            “Well considering that this is my house where else am I going to go?”  She straightened up and walked to her door which he had moved to as well. “you can go though.”

            “After you Kitten.” He answered in a dry voice.

            “Oh, bite me Frosty!” She added as she walked pass him.

            “Frosty?”  He questioned.

            “Better than the alternative.”

            “Which is?”

            “Better left unsaid.”

            He sighed slightly as she led them through the small apartment back to the kitchen.  She could feel his gaze drilling into the back of her head.  Not for the first time she wished she could hear what he was thinking.  His whole demeaner didn’t make sense.  At times, he was cold, calculating and almost scary.  Other times he seemed different, almost concerned or kind which was something that defiantly didn’t make sense.  She couldn’t figure him out and wasn’t even sure how.

            “I can almost hear you thinking.  Care to share?”   He asked behind her.  She just snorted and plopped down in one of her kitchen chairs.

            “So, what is so important that you have to kidnap me three times, break into my apartment and raid my cupboards?”  She asked in a board voice trying to keep the curiosity from her tone.  He stood for a moment before moving toward her stove and started dishing what he had been cooking into a bowl and handed it to her.  She first looked at it and then back up at him.

            “Just eat first McAllister.” He seemed slightly put off by her questioning look.  She picked up the spoon and stirred the context slightly.  She recognized some of it and it did smell amazing.

            “What is it exactly?”  She asked gagging his reaction as he leaned against her sink with his arms crossed.  His mask was in place but she was observing a slight change in his well guarded emotions.  She just couldn’t figure out what it was yet.

            “It’s called food. I know you’re not use to it but try it.”  He stated frankly.

            “What is that supposed to mean?’

            “That you eat like a toddler.”

            “I’m sorry?”

            “Poptarts are not a food group.  Now if you want answers than eat.”  She really did want answers and she really was hungry.

            “I don’t eat like a toddler.”  She bites back as she sighed slightly and took a spoonful.  It was as fantastic as it smelled and she almost closed her eyes in pleasure.  The unnerving part was he was watching her so she knew she had to say something.

            “Okay, I’ll give you this much, you do have talents other than stealing and kidnapping.”  His eyes soften ever so slightly.

            “Glad you approve.”  He said as he walked to the table and sat down across from her.  “I use to cook for my sister when we were kids.”  He looked down at his hands not meaning her gaze.

            “Lucky girl.”  She said softly feeling a slight stab of jealousy.  She would have given anything for a sibling or anyone who looked after her as a child.  He didn’t answer and continued to look at his hands as if lost in thought.  In that moment, he seemed lost and she sensed sadness mixed with remorse.  They were both silent as she finished eating and set her bowl aside.  He still wouldn’t look at her and she still sensed his vulnerability. She was just about to set her hands on his but stopped herself.  She still didn’t trust him or herself with him but something told her to hear him out.

            “So you want to tell me what this is all about?”  She asked in a quiet voice.  He finally looked up at her but his face was once again unreadable.

            “They took my sister and I need your help to get her back.”


	3. A Friendly Encounter

**Chapter Three**

**A Friendly Encounter**

He had said it so sadly and his voice had a hint of remorse that it broke her heart just a little.  This was a man who obviously was used to being in control and not one to ask for help.  She mentally cursed herself and told herself not to feel bad or anything for the man that had caused her so much grief recently.  There was just something in his voice, something in the way he held himself.  Leonard Snart was the type of person who bled confidence and cockiness but know he seemed just lost.  She didn’t want to believe him, told herself it was some part of an elaborate plan.  There was just something that didn’t seem right. She took a deep breath and really looked at him.  He seemed to be waiting for her to respond.

            “Okay.” She stated slowly. “Tell me.”  A flash of relief prickled in his eyes and he seemed to relax slightly.  He stood up and started pacing slightly.  Apparently, he had a bit of a nervous habit.

            “A while back we were pulling a job and things went bad.”  He took his time to gather his thoughts.  “We were…found out and they took her as collateral. Now they have me on a string wanting me to pull a job for them before they give her back.  If I do what they want they keep her alive, for now.”  Venom filled his voice and the cold hard look returned to his eyes.  “I don’t like being controlled.”  She held up her hand in defense.

            “I get that, but why me?  I mean you must know someone else who can help.  I mean anyone else would be a better fit for this.”  He responded by stopping in front of her and just stared down at her.  “What?”  She asked almost timidly.  She was almost afraid of his answer and he was looking at her as if that was a stupid question.

            “Your good at what you do.  Your discreet and have certain connections that can help.”  He squatted down so that he was eye level to where she still sat in her chair at the table.  “I did my research about you McAllister. I know you grew up on the streets of Gotham.  I know you have a knack for figuring out some of the most challenging missing person’s cases.”  He leaned in a bit closer and it was all she could do to keep her breathing level. “And I know you can’t turn your back on people.”  He paused for a second.  Either for dramatic effect or to gather his own thoughts.  He looked away and leaned back again.  “Even if they don’t deserve it.”  He once again looked back up at her again.  His eyes drilling her but unreadable.

            “So…if you know all of this why the kidnappings?  Why not just ask me?” He looked away from her, stood up and sighed slightly as he leaned against her counter, arms crossed.  It was as if he was trying to form a reasonable excuse.

            “I am use to doing things a certain way that gets the results I need.  But you proved to be a challenge.  Not many have ever succeeded in that. My actions are…regrettable.”  He looked back at her his eyes once again unreadable, cold.  His mask was back in place.  She figured that there was more to what he was saying and knew that was the closest she would ever get to an apology from him. She closed her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts and slightly cursed under her breath.  She had a feeling things would not end well for her.  She took a deep breath and counted to ten.  She could feel his eyes on her and when she opened her eyes and meant his she saw something in them she never thought she would ever see, hopefulness.  _Well shit_ , she thought to herself.

            “Okay, here’s the deal.  _If_ I do this…and I said _if_ …”  She emphasized. “I need the whole truth.  No half-truths, no lies, no hidden agendas but all of it.  I need your honesty.  I can’t do my job if I don’t have all the unpleasant details.”  He nodded in agreement. “Second this is that I’m sure the last thing you want is for the police be involved but there will be a time that I will need to bring in people I trust.  My resources as you put it, so in return I need your trust.  Trust my judgement that I am doing absolutely everything in my power to bring your sister home.  I’ve never missed on a case and don’t intend to start now.”  He nodded once more.  “The third and probably the most important is that we do things my way.  When we find her, and we will, you do not go in guns a blazing.  Are we clear?”  He leaned forward slightly his hands folded in front of him.  His eyes unreadable but she felt a sudden calmness about him.  She found it slightly unnerving that he would take what she said at face value without a fight.  She had expected something along those lines.

            “Alright.”  She started in a bit of a quiet voice.  “But for the record I wouldn’t have come to you if I didn’t trust you.  I have never nor will I ever lie to you Sophie.”  She tried to wrap his words around her head.

            “How do you trust me if you don’t even really know me?”  She was honestly curious about this new version of him.  His answer was a very slight smile as he shifted from foot to foot.

            “Now where is the mystery in that?”  She narrowed her eyes at him slightly trying to figure him out. 

            “Just as long as we understand each other.”  She mentally bereted herself and called it all sorts of crazy but there was something about this whole situation that had her bugged.  That and she really wanted to find out why he seemed to be so fixated on her.

            “Just one more thing…”  She added.

            “Just one?”

            “When this is over you are going to tell me exactly why you think kidnapping me was a smart idea to begin with.”  It was a statement more than a question.  He just smirked again before adding.

            “If you don’t figure it out before then.”  Oh, he was defiantly hiding something.  She stood up from the table and started to clear and do the dishes which he promptly shooed her out of the way.  She should have pushed her way in but truth be told she really hated doing dishes and she had a feeling that not many ever saw this side of him.  This gave her a glimpse of a different man than what she was used to.  She found him difficult to read, until he touched her that is and then it was a different story all together.  She told herself as long as there was distance than she would be fine.

            After the dishes where done and drying on a rack she led them into the living room which was also serving as a temporary office.  She directed him to the couch as she flopped in her small but very comfortable chair that sat across from it.  She threw her hair up into a messy pony tail, slipped on her glasses and grabbed two pads of yellow legal paper and two pens.  Handing one of each to him and settled back into her chair.  She looked up to see him staring at her with a strange look on his on his face.

            “What? What is it?”  She hadn’t meant to ask but it just kind of flew out of her mouth.  He looked startled at first as if was caught doing something he didn’t want to be caught at and then gave her a little smirk. He shook his head slightly and sat down with his pad and pen looking at them questionably.  She rolled her eyes before he could even ask the questions. “It’s to make a list of all your enemies. I figured you would need the whole pad.”

            “Sassy! I like it!” 

            “Only when provoked.” A sparkle of mischief reflected in his eyes.

            “Do I provoke you McAllister?” He was trying to bait her again and she wasn’t going to let him.

            “What do you think?”  She didn’t look up a from her own pad as she said this.  He didn’t respond so she shot a look over the top of her glasses to see that he was still staring at her.  She felt her cheeks redden slightly under his intense stare which earned her another smirk. She shook her head and sighed turning her attention back to her tablet to which she started taking notes.  For the next few hours she asked questions as he wrote down his many, many enemies.  She knew the list was going to be long, really long but it was beginning to boarder on ridiculous. He finally handed her the finished list and sat back. “You sure you got everyone.”  She asked sarcastically and then added. “Do you need another pad?”  She couldn’t quiet keep the small smile from her face.

            “Funny Kitten.”

            “I try.”  She stared down at his surprisingly neat hand writing and flipped through a few of the pages with a raised eyebrow. “How in the hell did you make an enemy out of the nuns at St Mary’s church?  Their nuns, they don’t hold grudges.”

            “These one’s do.”

            “You really do know some colorful people, don’t you?”  She asked as she flipped through a few more of the pages.

            “A few and for the record, they’re not really nuns.” She gave him another questioning look. “It’s a front for money laundering outfit.”

            “Well that’s not really nun like.”

            “People ask less questions that way.”  She nodded her head in agreement and rubbed her eyes as the grew increasingly tired.  She was so involved in putting together a file that she when her head began to droop she was surprised to find his hand on her arm before she fell on the floor.  That would have been graceful.

            “You need sleep.”  His voice was void of all emotion.  She shook her head to chase the sleep away.

            “No, I’m fine.”  She cleared her throat slightly and blinked several times.

            “You’re no good to me if you are exhausted.”  She knew he was right but she really didn’t want to concede.  He however didn’t give her much of a choice as he took her by the arm gently pulling her up.  She stumbled slightly and he caught her before she didn’t something completely ungraceful like falling flat on her face.  That all too familiar feeling in the back of her head started.  She wanted to get away but at the same time she didn’t want him to let go.  She suddenly had a flash of a memory.  Something she had long since put away.  She was looking out the back window of a car, tears streaming down her face.  She was watching a boy not that much older than her chasing after the car.  His eyes were what she remembered the most, eyes very much like the ones that she was looking into now.  It was impossible though, that boy was gone a long time ago.  A fact that still haunted her, yet looking into his eyes somehow made it a little better.  It was like looking into the past, a past she needed to forget.

            Just as suddenly that it had come the memory was gone and she played it off as being too tired.  She shook her head again slightly to clear her head but he still held her arm firmly but ever so gently.

            “You all right?”  He asked her in a soft voice as he looked down at her with a slight hint of concern.  That’s when she realized just how close they really were and she tried to order her body not to get that flush and tingle sensation that happened every time he touched her.  She pulled away before he could see her face flush and bent to gather her papers, not meeting his eyes.  She missed his frown due to her sudden movement.

            “Yeah, I’m fine, but I think your right.  I can pick up first thing in the morning. I’m sure you know your way out.”  She added as she started toward her bedroom.

            “Oh, I do but I’m not leaving.”  This stopped her in her tracks.  She turned slightly toward him.

            “What do you mean you’re not leaving?” 

            “Just that until I have Lisa back you and I are partners.”

            “You still didn’t answer my question.”  A bit of amusement sparked in his eyes as the corners of him mouth perked up ever so slightly.

            “Like I said, not leaving.”  She should fight him, she should throw him out and not for the first time she considered calling the cops again.  Truth was she really didn’t have the energy to do battle yet again.  She narrowed her eyes at him.

            “Fine! But don’t steal anything you crock.”  She heard him chuckle slightly as she turned back around as she headed back into the bedroom.

            “Wouldn’t dream of it Kitten.”  She grabbed her cat on the way to the bedroom and shut the door, wishing not for the first time that it had a lock.  Once again, she pushed the dresser in front of it hoping he would get the hint and stay out.  She really should be more frightened of him than she was but once she had heard his story things started to change in her mind.  She had a bit of a theory on who had her and she didn’t like it, but before another thought entered her mind her head hit the pillow and she was out until morning.

            She woke the next morning, not to the sound of her alarm as expected but to the strong smooth smell of fresh coffee.  She squinted at the clock which read six am.  Then her mind cleared enough that she didn’t even own a coffee pot.  She rolled over and shot up when she saw Snart standing over her at her bed side holding a cup.  She looked up at him and then back at the door which now stood open, the dresser back to where it belonged.

            “Rise and shine princess.”  He said in his emotionless voice.

            “How in the hell do you keep getting in here.”  She asked in a sleepy voice.  He responded with a smirk that tugged at his lips. 

            “I could tell you but where would the fun be in that.”  He handed her the cup and sat down at the foot of the bed.  “I thought you might want an early start.”  She regarded him for a moment unsure on what to say to him.  He seemed to becoming increasingly comfortable in her life and she started not to mind…much. What was wrong with her?  He was a criminal and, she reminded herself for the one hundredth time, had kidnapped her more than once.  He sat there for a moment before he spoke.  “Thank you for doing this.  I know this isn’t easy for you and I know I’ve been less than pleasant about it.”  She smiled slightly.

            “I’m guessing that’s as close to an apology as I’m going to get.”  He looked up at her returning her smile ever so slightly.

            “Says the girl who gave me a black eye and broke Mick’s nose.”

            “You really had it coming.”  She added with a raised eyebrow.  “But I promise you I will do everything in my power to find your sister.”  She touched his arm slightly so that he would look at her.  “I promise.”

            “I know.”  He responded as he nodded slightly. “Do you have an idea where she might be?”  He asked a bit hopefully.

            “Not yet but I have an idea on where to start.  I need to go to my office this morning to do a bit of research, phone calls that sort of stuff.  By this afternoon, I should be ready for some leg work.  I will let you know what I find by tonight.”  She went to get up but he still hadn’t moved.  He just sat there with a frown on his face.  She gave him a questioning look. She was about to ask him what was bothering him when he spoke.

            “I’m coming with you.”  It wasn’t a question.

            “There isn’t anything you can do at this point.  Just let me do my part.  I know it’s going to be hard for you to let someone else carry your burden but this is what I do.”

            “I don’t think you understand how dangerous these people are.  They took my sister off from under me. They are forcing me to do jobs I would never do and they are playing me.  I can’t let her get hurt, or you for that matter.”

            “I do understand but I have been doing this for a very long time.”  She took a deep breath.           “Okay, look if your determined to stick around maybe you can help with the research and leg work.  But you have to do things my way, understood?”

            “You can be bossy, you know that.” He added as he seemed to be breathing a bit easier.

            “When I have to be.” She went to get up again but he still sat so she added. “So, move so I can get dressed.”  He turned his eyes to her with a sparkle of mischief in them.

            “Don’t let me stop you.”  She looked at him slightly shocked and then when she realized the intentions behind his words her face grew red and she wanted to hide under her covers again.  She couldn’t think on how to respond and when she opened her mouth nothing came out.

            “So, she is rendered speechless.  I should remember that.”  He smirked and got up heading out her bedroom door.  “Ten minutes or I’m coming in to help you.” He shut the door and she shot off the bed.  She hurried around because for whatever reason locks did not work on that man and she wasn’t nearly ready for him to help her dress…if ever. Ten minutes later she opened her door, fully composed and ready to go only to stop short as she found him leaning against her door frame mere inches from her. She jumped back slightly and found herself backed up against the wall with nowhere to go.  There he was invading her space again.

            “You know, clothing could have been optional.”  He slightly whispered in her ear causing her to think some not so good thoughts and sending a shiver down her spine. She opened her mouth once again trying to think of what to say but once again nothing came out and she felt herself flush again.  He caught on to this rather quickly and leaned forward even more.  “What am I to do with you McAllister?”  He said it so softly that at first, she didn’t think she heard him correctly but before either one could do or say anything else there was a knock at the door.  Snart stiffened up slightly and she jumped blinking her eyes several times.  “You expecting someone?”  It came out more as a demand than a question.

            “N…no.”  She answered still slightly flustered at his closeness which he still hadn’t moved from and somehow his hand had found its way to her waist skimming it slightly.  The knock sounded again.  “I should probably answer that.”  She answered in a strangled voice.  He gave her once last unreadable look and quickly stepped away leaving able to breath yet slightly cold.  With shaky legs and unable to meet his eyes as she passed him.  “You may want to hide.”  She stated as she walked by.  She didn’t see him but heard him disappear behind her bedroom door.  The last thing she needed was for someone to see that she had a well-known wanted criminal in her home.  She stood on her tip toes and looked through the peep hole before unlocking her three locks opening the door a crack.

            “Can I help you?”  She asked the young man on the other side of the door.

            “Hi!”  He said with a big smile.  “Sophie McAllister, I’m Barry Allen a friend of Ellie’s.  She asked me to make some time to check in on you.”  She opened the door further and regarded him for a moment before offering her his hand to shake.  She could have sworn that she heard Snart snort in disgust but she turned her attention back to the young man in front of her with the very eager look on his face.  She shook his hand and suddenly hand an over whelming feeling of trust and warmth. In an instant, she could tell that he meant her no harm.

            “Yes, I remember.  Ellie mentioned she worked with you before.  You’re with CCPD correct.  She said you might stop by.”  Ellie like Barry was a CSI and soon to be another one of her partners in her business.

            “She told me that you were starting a PI business and thought you could use a friendly face at the station.  I hope I’m not too early but El said you were an early morning person and so am I so…”

            “So, she sent you over to check in on me.”  She finished for him with a smile. One couldn’t help but like the kid which is why Ellie had become fast friends with him.

            “Something like that.”  He added with a slight laugh.  “I was on my way to work and thought I would see if you needed anything.”

            “Well that’s very kind of you but I’m doing fine but if I do need anything I will let you know.”  She returned his never-ending smile.

            “Great! Let me give you my number than.”  She went to grab her phone from her pocket where it was usually kept and realized she hadn’t gotten it back from Snart the night before. Damn that man!  Always complicating her life.

            “Um, let me just go grab my phone.”  She added with an embarrassed chuckle. Suddenly there was a thump and her phone skidded across the room coming to rest by her feet.  Both looked down at it in puzzlement. “Huh, there it is.”  She said as she bent down and retrieved it.  Barry just looked at her with a questioned look.  She shook her head thinking fast.  “That crazy cat, always messing with my stuff.”

            “You have a cat?”  He asked in a tone that read he didn’t quite believe her but didn’t want to question it. Just then her cat too shot from the bedroom and into the kitchen.  She moved as if the devil himself was chasing her and she disappeared under the sink.

            “Yeah cat.”  She added with a slight smile.  “She spooks easily.”  She added as they exchanged numbers.  She was silently cursing Snart for whatever he had done to startle her cat.

            “So, Ellie said you work missing person cases.”

            “Yeah, most of my career.”  Why was he lingering, she asked herself?

            “That’s cool.”  He added and it was followed by silence.  Just then her phone buzzed in her hand. She looked down to see that she had received a text from someone called Leo.  Who was Leo? Then it had hit her, for crying out loud he had actually programed her phone with his number.  She mentally rolled her eyes as she read the text. _“You want to hurry this up?”_ She looked up at Barry with an apologetic look.

            “Sorry about that.  It’s a client who believes he is far too important than he really is.  He promised me breakfast if I would listen to his problems.  He thinks his girlfriend is missing but evidence points to her just running away from his charming personality.  Take it from me, she is doing herself a favor.”  Her phone buzzed again. _“Really Kitten?”_   She tried to not laugh out loud as she read it.

            “I’ll let you get back to it than.  He’s not dangerous, is he?”  Barry asked with concern in his voice.

            “Oh no, he is more of an annoying little bug but he is paying me very well so that makes up for it in the end.”

            “Okay.”  He said with a slight laugh.  “But please let me know if you need anything.”

            “Will do and thanks.  It was nice meeting you.  Ellie talks very highly of you.”

            “She is quite the character.”

            “She is that and so much more.”  She added with a smile and walked him to the door.

            “She talks about you a lot too.  She said that you have overcome a lot but you don’t talk about it much.” Was this kid seriously trying to profile her?

            “Yeah I’m not one to talk about my life much.”  She was trying to get him to leave which was proving to be slightly difficult. “But then Ellie talks enough for the two of us.”  Her phone buzzed again.  _“Enough with the small talk already.”_ Barry also noticed her phone coming to life.

            “You weren’t kidding.”  He said with a raised eyebrow and nodded his head toward her phone.

            “Yeah, sorry about that.”  She laughed slightly.

            “No that’s fine, I’ll let you get to it.  It was nice to meet you Sophie.”

            “You too Barry.” Finally, he left and she closed the door.  She turned around to find Snart a few feet behind her and she jumped in surprise.

            “you have got to stop doing that.”

            “Doing what?”  He asked with his face expressionless.

            “Sneaking up on me.  Its unnerving.”  He smirked ever so slightly and it took all of her will power not to smack him in the arm.

            “Making friends I see.”  He seemed a bit off put by it.  He stepped closer to her and she suddenly had that feeling again but this time it was slightly different she looked up at him and couldn’t help but smile.

            “You’re jealous.”  He looked down at her with a scowl.

            “I don’t get jealous.”

            “Really?!”  She stepped back with her arms crossed.  “By the way what in the hell did you do to my cat?” 

            “Using that word, again are we?”

            “And you’re not answering my questions again.”  He took a deep breath and stepped away from her.  She felt as if she had just won a major victory.

            “We need to get going.”  He picked up her coat and handed it to her.

            “Nope.  I need to get going. You need to buy me breakfast.”

            “If it gets that cute ass of yours moving than I will buy you as many pop tarts as you want.”  She tried not to blush at his comment as she grabbed her coat from him and her still wet bag where she had left it on the floor the night before.  Not looking behind, her she walked out her door and once both were out she turned to lock it.  Suddenly his hand was on the small of her back sending an electric shock through her body.  She tried shaking it off and looked up at him with a questioning look.   He nodded his head toward the end of the hallway to where Jordan stood outside his own door.  An unrecognizable look on his face.  He seemed to be radiating a dark feeling.  She almost shrunk into Snart’s touch as her neighbor approached the two of them.  He stopped as he reached the two of them without his usual smile.  Snart suddenly snaked his arm around her and pulled her close.  Something here was very wrong.  She just couldn’t pin point what.  She felt her face flush a thousand shades of red and she noticed Jordan’s eyes narrow slightly.

            “Morning Sophie.”  He said and kept of walking.  He had never used her name before and she frowned at the exchange.  Snart bent and spoke in her ear but loud enough for her neighbor to hear.

            “Ready Sweetheart?”  Oh, he was defiantly jealous.

 

           


	4. Stakeout and Poptarts

**Chapter Four**

**Stakeout and Poptarts**

 

            After her eventful morning, they went to her still unorganized office and she opened up, walking in.  She immediately went to her desk and started up her computer.  Out of everything in the room her computer was the newest piece of equipment and very top of the line.  It had cost her most of her savings but it had been worth it and she sat down prepared to give it a big work out. Snart had left her for a brief time as she started her search.  First, she inputted all the information that he had given her about the incident, then she moved on to his “list” which, as she stated earlier was very colorful.  By the time Snart had returned forty-five minutes later with a bag of food, she was in full mode.  A cork board had been set up tracing back his sisters moves up until she had disappeared.  She had a thought process going on in her head but didn’t know rather to voice it or not.  She was afraid of the reaction more than anything.  The M.O. of this particular case seemed very familiar and it left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She started tapping into the city-wide security cameras when she found what she was looking for.  Narrowing in on a license plate she used her program to find the own which to no surprise belonged to a local thug.  He worked for a man named Tristian Wilks.  Wilks was as close as a mob boss that Central City had. The thing was he was also a known associate with a mob boss in Gotham and that was what was bothering her.  This particular mob boss made Wilks look like a puppy dog, he was just plain ruthless.  She narrowed in on the video again which showed Lisa being pulled into a van but what caught her attention the most was one of the men in the video.  She re watched several times before she was finally satisfied.  She was brought out of her train of thought by a bag of food being plopped in front of her.  She looked up blinking rapidly at Snart questionably.

            “You almost missed lunch.”  He stated as he sat down in a chair on the other side of her desk propping his feet up on it. Without realizing it she had been working all morning.

            “I’m sorry, Sometimes I get focused and lose track of time.”

            “I’ve noticed.”  He paused for a moment.  “Did you find anything?”  He asked almost hesitantly.

            “Maybe, but there is someone I need to talk to first.”  She pointed at the computer screen that still held the footage she had been watching.  “Do you recognize anyone in this video?”  He stood up and came up behind her, leaning over ever so slightly.

            “Yeah, I’ve seen them around.  She could tell he was holding his anger at bay and then he sent an unexpected shiver down her spine as he brushed the nape of her neck as he bent forward even more. “Are they the ones who took her?” His voice was tense.

            “They work for Tristian Wilks.”

            “The mob boss?”  He sounded confused.

            “The wannabe mob boss.” He looked down at her. “What I’m from Gotham.  We do things bigger there.”  She turned her attention back to the screen.  She pointed out one of the men that was off to the left near the ally way. “You see this guy here?  He is one of my informants.  I need to go talk with him. Shake out any info he may have.”

            “No alone you’re not.”  She sighed.  What made him think she couldn’t handle this?  She tried to keep her temper in check.

            “Look, I know this guy.  He is not going to hurt me but if he thinks that anyone else is with me he won’t talk.”  He just looked at her with his arms crossed as he now sat on the edge of her desk.  She knew she wouldn’t win this one.  He was proving to be just as stubborn as she could be. “Okay, fine but you have to stay out of sight, I mean it.”  She added pointing a finger at him to get her point across.  He just smirked at her in triumphant.

            “Anything you say Kitten.”

            “You better believe it.”

            “You’re a bossy little thing, you know that.” He was trying to rile he up and it was working.

            “When I have to be.”  She gave him a cheeky smile.  He just shook his head and stood up holding out his hand to her.

            “Come on McAllister, let’s go find your guy.”  She took his hand and almost snatched it back when he pulled her up.  She had felt that sharp tingling sensation again.  Instead of letting go he tightened his hold on her hand and looked her in the eye.  She had hoped he hadn’t noticed but unfortunately, he had.  He frowned slightly as he pulled her a little closer and looked her in the eyes.  The humor that was there earlier was gone.

            “One of these days I’m going to figure out why you do that Sophie Rose.”  She felt her panic rise and he noticed.  He tightened his hand even more before gently releasing it.  He turned away but before he got too far she spoke.

            It’s not you, it’s me.  I’m not…”  She stopped closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She knew she owed him something, anything but she wasn’t sure how to voice it.  When she didn’t answer, he seemed to pull away and she opened her eyes to see his back as he retreated toward the door.

            “If you want this whole no holding back anything to work, it goes both ways.”  He added over his shoulder. She could feel tears threaten to peak in her eyes.  He must have noticed because there was suddenly a flicker of concern in his eyes. His face however, remained unchanged, emotionless.  She wiped the stray tear away determined not to let him see her cry and began her explanation.

            “I can’t control it. I never have been able to, but when someone touches me even when I am expecting it, I just react.  It doesn’t mean anything…I just.”  He stopped her by approaching her once more.  She glanced at the floor so that she didn’t have to look him in the eyes.  They stood like that for a few minutes before he spoke.

            “Sophie, look at me.”  He said it so softly that at first, she wasn’t sure rather she had heard him. When she didn’t respond, he asked her again.  “Please, look at me.”  She finally pulled her reluctant eyes up to his.  His face unreadable but his closeness sent that familiar buzz to the back of her head.  She wanted to hide from it but he wasn’t letting her.  It was as if he was starring right into her soul and it scarfed her.  She wanted to run, she wanted to hide, she wanted him to kiss her.  She blinked suddenly wondering where that thought had even come from. She thought for a split second he even had the same thought.  He had her trapped between himself and the desk, she wouldn’t have been able to run if she wanted to. She felt her breath hitched slightly as he seemed to lean in and then…the phone rang.  They both jerked apart and she quickly turned around to answer in a gruff voice.  She answered with a gruff hello hoping her voice didn’t betray her still shaky emotions.  Once the phone call had ended, a wrong number by the way, she walked around her desk and reached for her bag.  She glanced up to see that Snart had moved to the other side of the room, his arms crossed leaning against the wall.  His face like normal was unreadable. He looked up at her daring her to look away, which she did as she cleared her throat.

            “I’m going to go stack out my informant. I’ll let you know when I have something.”  She didn’t give him a chance to protest, she just grabbed her set of keys from her desk for the car she kept in the back of her building and before she could change her mind. She was out the back door and in her black suv in a matter of minutes. She made her way about four blocks over when she pulled over to the side of the road and just sat there.  She needed a minute to collect herself.  Her reaction to Snart was starting to become a problem and he was very close to learning about who she really was, a freak of nature.  Her _ability_ , for lack of a better term was her secret sham. She never shared it with anyone, not even her closest friends.   True it was one of the things that made her good at her job but it also brought back the memories of her dark childhood.  Memories of the uncle who raised her and abused her.  It wasn’t so much the physical pain he had enacted, that she could handle.  It was what she felt from him when he touched her. His hatred, every time he came near her, every time he touched her.  She felt his hatred.  For the world but mostly for her.  His emotion was so strong that at times it had felt as if her insides would turn inside out.  Because that is what happened anytime anyone touched her, she felt what they felt.  Every emotion, every fear, everything.  It made it difficult to understand her own feelings and times like this was very overwhelming for her.  She never let anyone see her vulnerable and she rarely let anyone in.

            She set her head on the steering wheel as the tears she had been hold finally came. Ten minutes later she took a few deep breaths and lifted her head.  She needed to get a grip, she had a job to do and she would be damned if she was going to let it get the best of her. She wiped away the last of her tears and started her car once again but just as she was about to pull away from the curb the passenger door opened.  She reached for her weapon that she kept at her side when she realized who it was.  She sighed a slight sigh of relief and went to looking back out the front window.

            “Shit! Are you trying to get yourself shot?  I told you I would handle this.”

            “Relax Kitten, I brought you a peace offering.” He handed her a box of pop tarts as he closed the door behind him.  She turned to look at him giving him a look of disbelief. “Listen I get not letting others see you, not letting others in.  I shouldn’t have pushed.”  She knew that this was as close to an apology as she was going to get.  He just started at her waiting for a reaction so she nodded her head and pulled her car back out into traffic.

            A few hours later they sat outside a bar that was everything less than pleasant.  She watched the street with a pair of binoculars as she waited for the person she was looking for to make an appearance. 

            “He’s not coming.”

            “You keep saying that.”  She answered back as she nibbled on her strawberry pop tart.

            “He’s not coming.”  He complained again.

            “Have you ever even been on a stake out before?  I thought you were good at this kind of thing.”  They had been squabbling like this for the past hour.  “He will be here, now eat a pop tart and please be patient.”   He snorted and started disgustingly at the offending pastry.

            “Not even if I wanted too.”

            “Oh, you don’t know what you are missing.  It’s the perfect combination of fruit and sugar.”

            “Which is wrapped in foil and it’s not real fruit.”

            “And packed full of calcium.”  He just looked at her with a blank look.  “What? It says so on the box.”

            “And you believe everything that you read?”

            “Don’t you?”  He didn’t answer so she went back to starring out the window. She knew he had to be here, its where she always found him when she needed to.  Truth be told she was starting to lose patience herself.   She would never let on about it to him of course.  Instead she decided to use her time to find out more information about her car companion who had recently decided to become a fixture in her life. She should be afraid of him, he was a known thief as well as other things but she wasn’t and that disturbed her.  In the same sense, she found him fascinating.  She had never been able to connect with anyone, ever, not at this level.  There was something about him, it was as if she should know him from somewhere.  The only other time she had felt this strongly about someone was when she was a child and that person was long gone, or she had been told.

            “Care to share?”  His voice interrupted her thought process and she looked at him confused.

            “I’m sorry?”  She asked.

            “I can practically hear you thinking over here, so spill.”  She shook her head.

            “Nope, doesn’t work that way, if you really want to know then I get the first question.”  He gave her a smirk and motioned her to continue.  She turned to face him and asked the one question that had been bugging her all morning.

            So, tell me what is it with you and Barry Allen?”  She had caught him off guard and she knew it.  His face changed to that ever so familiar controlled look as she gave him a smirk of her own.  He didn’t speak for a minute and just sat there staring at her and her returning the stare.  She tried not to smile and turned her attention back out the window.  “Oh, come on, you have to give me something.  I mean it’s obvious that you have meet at some point and I’m guessing it wasn’t fun for you.” He snorted and then finally answered.

            “He’s more of an annoyance than anything.”

            “So, you have met?”  She turned and saw that he was looking out the window his face showing signs of irritation.  “And you’re not going to tell me anything else, are you?”  She knew she was pushing him but she tired of sitting in silence and quite frankly she was growing board.  Maybe he was right and her contact wasn’t going to show up.

            “You ask a lot of questions.”  He finally broke his silence.

            “And you never answer them.  Besides it’s my job to ask questions.”  She grinned slightly.  He sighed and adjusted his position.

            “You wouldn’t like the answer.”  She gave him a questionable look.

            “What does that supposed to mean?”  His only answer was a shake of her head.

            “I’m not going to tell you.  Look he is obviously not coming so I will catch up with you later.”  Without another word or even looking at her he exited her car leaving her speechless and a little angry.  For a man who prided himself on being cool and collected he had more mood swings than anyone she had ever meant.  She knew she pushed him, she had that habit.  That and pushing others away but she was doing him a favor, only god knows why, and he could never give her a straight answer.  She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she almost missed her contact when he finally appeared.

            Timothy Rion was anything but a pleasant man but his information had always been sound.  He was a tall thin man, middle aged and had hair that was not only greasy but attempting a comb over.  He would be described as a weasel and rarely did anything unless it benefitted him. 

She watched as he disappeared into the bar which ironically was called The Pigs Swallow.  She hated the idea of going in there but knew she didn’t have a choice.  She got out locking her doors and headed across the street.  She slung her bag across her shoulder, put her mace in her back pocket and her gun in her waist band of her pants, covering it with her jacket.  She entered the dimly lit dirty facility and found him sitting bar.  She scrunched her nose at the smell of the place and really tried not to gag.   The place was basically empty and he was nursing a bottle of beer.  She approached him determined to get this over with so she wouldn’t have to be there any longer than possible. She wasn’t liking the looks she was getting from some of the patron’s and sat down on the set nest to him turning to face him.

“Imagine running into you here of all places Timmy.” He quickly turned to her giving her a sour look and turned back around.

“What do you want McAllister?”  He asked in a snarky voice.

“Now don’t be like that Timmy.  If you want me to keep your secrets than I need information.”  She said matching his tone.

“You always want information.  I don’t give it out for free anymore.”

“That’s too bad.  You see I was just thinking about ignoring that shipment you have coming in every Friday.”

            “All right, fine!  What do you want now?”  Sophie grabbed a photo from her bag and slapped it in front of him.

            “This girl was taken several nights ago on the corner of Lexington and Brown street.  I know you know about this because you were there.  See right there in the corner.”  She pointed at his face in the picture.  “I need to know where they took her.”   He looked up at her with a sneer.  
            “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”   

            “Don’t give me that.”  They stared each other down when suddenly he stood up and bolted toward the back door. She shook her head in disbelief as she grabbed the photo from the bar and took off after him. She really hated it when they ran and for a rat he sure was fast.   He made several turns up and down back alley ways, scaling a few fences and running through several back yards, with her not far behind. She had kept up to him up until he turned corner and seemingly disappeared.  She suddenly heard a vaguely familiar sound followed by a bright blue light.  She turned the corner only to find herself slipping on a huge patch of ice.  It wasn’t nearly cold enough for ice and yet here she was skating across it.  She felt someone grab her from behind only to slip right through landing on her knee, hard.  She looked up finding Rion trying to get away on his hands and knees also slipping on the ice. She was not letting him get away again.  She crawled after him not even realizing there was someone watch all this unfold and her fit of anger.  She grabbed Rion by the lag and used it as leverage so she could pull herself up. Grabbing the back of his pants, she flipped him over, kind of and sat on his chest using her legs to straddle him, with him squealing the whole time. That was until she pulled her gun pointing it at his face.

            “All right you little shit head, answer the question!  Where is she?” She was beyond angry at this point and quite frankly ready to kill the little rat.  He held his hands up in defeat.

            “I don’t know!”  He yelled back.

            “One!”  She pulled back the safety on her gun. “Two!”

            “Okay, okay!”  He added panicked. “Just get off!  I can’t breathe!”

            “Too bad for you, now talk!”  His eyes got big when he finally realized just how serious she was.

            “Gotham!  She’s in Gotham!”

            “Where?!”  she demanded gun still in his face.

            “A warehouse down town!  Something about keeping her there until her brother stole something for them.  She is their leverage.”

            “Who are they?”

            “I don’t know!  Some big mob boss.  That’s all I know!  I swear!”  She looked at him for a minute before lowering her gun, clicking the safety back in place and tucking it back in her waist band.  She reached down and patted his cheek.

            “Good doing business with you Timmy.”  She stood up sliding slightly again only to have someone catch her from behind.  She looked up to see Snart looking down at her with an amused look on his face.  So, he was the reason for the ice, she should have figured.  She looked back to see Timmy scrabbling to get up slipping and sliding the whole time.

            “You’re crazy McAllister.”  He shouted at her as he rounded the corner.

            “You have no idea!”  She shouted after him pulling herself away from Snart who reluctantly let her go as she slide and made her way back out on the street.

            “I see you decided to come back.”  She threw behind her sensing more than seeing him follow her.

            “I said I would find you later. This is later.”

            “Oh, so now we are going to be a smart ass.”  She sassed back as she started to limp toward her car. “I told you he would show up!”

            “Where are you going?”  He asked with a note of concern in his voice.

            “The one place I said I would never return too, Gotham.”  The thought leaving a sick feeling in her stomach.

 


	5. Distractions

**Chapter Five**

**Distractions**

            She continued to limp about two blocks when she finally saw her car again.  She breathed a sigh of relief and went to retrieve her keys only she couldn’t find them.  She panicked thinking she had lost them in the struggle.  She was startled when her keys were suddenly dangling in front of her.

            “Looking for these?”  Snart asked her as she tried to grab them away glaring at him.  He just held them out of her reach.

            “Hey, give them back and stop taking my stuff damn it!” He spun her around so that she was looking at him.

            “You need to calm down.”  She pulled herself away.

            “Don’t tell me to calm down!” She added hotly. “Now keys!”  She demanded holding out her hand.  Instead of giving them to her he clutched his hand around them holding tight.

            “No.”  He said calmly which in turn only made her angrier.

            “No?”  She questioned.

            “For two reasons.  One, something about Gotham has you bugged.  I don’t like that.”  He looked down at her with his arms crossed as he stepped a little closer.  She looked away not wanting to meet his eye but he surprised her once again by gently taking her chin in his finger and thumb lifting her gaze to his.  “And two, during your little ice capades back there you went and got yourself hurt.”  He added as he glanced down at her knee which up until that moment she hadn’t noticed was bleeding rather profusely.  “Now I am going to drive you home, you can get that cleaned up and we will plan our next move.”  He didn’t give her a chance to respond as he gently but firmly took her arm and lead her to the passenger side of her car.  Once she was in he rounded the front of the car and got into the driver’s seat.  She glared at him the whole time, which he ignored until they were almost to her apartment.

            “You can look at me like that all you want…it’s not going to change a damn thing.”

            “You’re an ass.”

            “So you keep reminding me…still doesn’t change anything.”  Silence.

            “Why?”  She asked.

            “Why what?”  She huffed in annoyance.

            “Why me?”  He gave her an unreadable look but she could almost see the amusement he tried to hide.

            “Maybe I like the challenge.”

            You think this is a challenge? You don’t know what a challenge is. I can really be a challenge, you just wait.”  She mumbled to herself turning to look out the window.  She thought that she heard him chuckle slightly but the sound was so foreign to her that she wasn’t sure.

            “You are a stubborn one, but it still doesn’t change anything.”

            “Did you just wake up one morning and decide to antagonize the hell out of me or does it just come naturally?”

            “Don’t be so dramatic Kitten. It’s obvious that the pain is getting to you so I’ll ignore that last statement.”  He had pulled into a parking spot near her apartment and had turned the car off.  He turned to look at her with a knowing stare which she shared, neither one moving.  Finally, out of fatigue she relented and sighed.

            “Fine.  Thanks for the ride or more like driving my car.”  She turned and went to open the door climbing out.  She could feel his eyes on her retreating back as she made her way to the door of her building when he was suddenly beside her and opened the door.

            “I’m fine.”  She said to him as she tried to move around him but he stood firm.

            “No sweetheart, you’re really not.  The sooner you come to terms with that the easier this will be.”

            “And you think I’m stubborn?”  She asked sarcastically but gave in a little and leaned on him a bit for support.  He surprised her by wrapping an arm around her waist as they maneuvered her into the building. They were almost to the elevator when she stopped short.  He looked down at her with a questioning look.  “I don’t do elevators.”  She answered quickly and pulled away from him heading toward the stairs.   He stopped her with a firm hand on her upper arm causing her to jump slightly at the contact. If he noticed he didn’t let on but spoke to her in that snarky, cocky voice that grated on her nerves.

            “You are not walking up three flights of stairs!”  She narrowed her eyes.

            “Watch me!”  She pulled away and headed for the first step limping the whole way.  She heard him sigh.

            “So, you don’t like closed in spaces.”  He stated simply and she turned around to give him a look.  He just shrugged and added. “I noticed. But if you insist on using the stairs we are doing it my way.”

            “You’re bossy.”

            “The same could be said about you.  Are you finished?”  He didn’t give her time to respond.  He quickly approached her put a hand on her back and the other beneath her knees and picked her up in one swift approach.

            “What in the hell are you doing?”  She demanded.  “Put me down!”  She tried to wiggle free but he held tight and her senses went into overload causing her to stiffen up.

            “Relax Kitten, it will only be foe a minute.” She glared up at him but clung to the back of his neck. If he dropped her, so help her god, there would be hell to pay.

            “This is your fault you know.”  She noticed his jaw clenching slightly and he glanced down at her.

            “You getting hurt was never my intention.”  He looked back up and found they were at her door.  She tried again to get him to let her down but he didn’t as he used her key, opened the door and carried her into the bathroom finally setting her on the edge of the tube. He turned finding her first aid kit that she kept under the sink and pulled it out. He kneeled in front of her.

            “Let’s take a look.”  He looked up at her expectedly but she made no move.

            “I’m going to have to take my pants off.”  She felt her face grow warm and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

            “And…?”

            “And what?”

            “Do you need help?”

            “No! I don’t need help!”

            “Than what’s the problem?”

            “Um…”  She couldn’t look at him and he seemed to catch on to her discomfort, amusement dancing in his eyes.

            “You didn’t seem to have any problem wanting to take your pants off in front of me when you were stuck in that vent.”

            “Well, that was different.  That was life and death.”  He just gave her a look.  “Well it was!” 

            “And this will be too because you’re going to bleed out.  Now come on.”  She still didn’t move.  “Okay, fine.”  He thought for a moment and got up. “I’ll be right back.”  He disappeared into her bedroom where she could hear him rummaging around.  A few minutes later he came back in holding her favorite pair of blue shorts and a matching long sleeved shirt.  It was her go to for comfort outfit but she usually reserved it for when no one would see her.  He handed them too her and leaned back against the sink with his arms crossed.

            “Change into those so that we can look at that knee.”  She looked up at him curiously.

            “Should I be worried that you know my clothing drawer?  First you knew exactly where my first aid kit was hidden and know this?  How often have you actually been in here?”  He just sighed and stepped out of the room but left the door open.

            “Just get dressed McAllister.”

            “Oooo, you just called me by my last name.  You only do that if I am annoying you.  Am I annoying you Leonard?”  She teased him as she painfully changed and saw her knee for the first time.  “ _Perfect_.”  She mumbled to herself as she grabbed a clean wash cloth wetting it down in the tub.  She looked up as he reentered the bathroom with a scowl on his face.

            “I think you were put on this earth to annoy me.”  He squatted down in front of her again as she looked at him with amusement.

            “Did Leonard Snart just make a joke? There may be hope for you yet.  Besides, it’s not so fun when the role is reversed, is it?”  He glanced up at her with a slight twinge of a smile as he grabbed the wash cloth from her hand and started to clean away the blood from her lag and worked his way up to her knee.  If it didn’t hurt so much she could have focused more on the feel of his hand as it slid up the back of her calf sending electrical shock through her whole body. Instead she sucked in a gasp as he made his way closer to the wound.  

The injury had turned out to be worse than she originally thought.  It was a rather large gash that ran from the top of her knee cap to just below the bottom.  It was a good thing she wasn’t a queasy person.  He mumbled a quiet _sorry_ as he held her leg firmly but gently.  He really wasn’t living up to his reputation of being Captain Cold, at least not with her which only made her more determined to find out what made this man tick. But for now, she needed to focus on the problem at hand or rather what was in his very capable hand.  She mentally shook the thought from her head telling herself to get a grip.  He was a criminal and who knows what he really had done or what he was planning but for some strange and unknow reason, in that moment she trusted him.  Without even knowing why.

“Do you think it needs stitches?”  She asked trying to get a better look.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea.  Do you want to go to the hospital?”

“No.”  She answered almost too quickly.  His hands stilled and she felt his eyes on her.  She looked up at him reading the unasked question she knew he had.  “I spent way too much time in the ER as a kid.  I’m not going back unless I have to.”

“I think this would qualify.”  He added with a trace of concern laced with a hint of anger.  She glanced at him and then reached for her first aid kit.

“Not when I have the stuff to do it in here.”  He looked up at her with a look of alarm.

“You’re going to give yourself stitches?”  She shrugged her shoulders.

“I’ve done it before.”  She answered as she pulled out the necessary equipment.  He stopped her hands and looked at her.

“That’s going to hurt like hell.”

“I know.”  She answered as she tried to pull her hand away.  He was radiating a whole new set of emotions, something she had never felt from him before and she wasn’t sure how to process it.  She felt not only his concern but his need to protect her.

“Do you have anything to dull the pain?”

“Nope.  I’ll be fine, I’ve felt worse.  Let’s just get this over with.”   She started to take deep breaths as she threaded the needle and set to work.  He took it from her before she could make another move or protest.

“I can do that.” She said as she tried to take it back but he held it out of reach.

“I know you don’t like it when I try to help, but I am going to do this rather you like it or not.  Now hold still.”  He looked down as he prepared to stitch her up.

“You know, you can be a bit of a bully when you want to be.”  She winced as he started threading the needle through her knee.

“And you can be a big pain in the ass when you put your mind to it.”  His eyes never leaving his work.

“You know you can also be a …OW!”  She said at about the third stitch and reached forward grabbing his shoulder digging her fingers in.

“Just hang on Kitten, almost done.”  She felt herself shake from the pain but she refused to let it show.  Eight stitches later he placed a large bandage over it.

“Not my best work but it will do.”  He looked up at her closed eyes as she focused on her breathing so that she wouldn’t pass out from the pain.  “Hey, you okay?”  She slowly nodded her head, her eyes remaining closed.  “You want to let go?” he asked softly.

“In a minute. Sorry.”  She whispered back her grip never loosening. So, he decided to distract her.  He wasn’t sure what made him due other than the fact that he had been wanting to do it for a while and it was a long time coming.  He reached down, cupped her face in his hand and kissed her.  It was soft and gentle, meant to take her mind off from anything else.  She gasped slightly which only encouraged him to deepen the kiss slightly.  Then something he wasn’t expecting happened, she returned the kiss, lessening her grip on his shoulder.  She felt that all too familiar buzz in the back of her head and decided to not fight it this time.  Instead of the intense headache she was expecting, something different happened.   She suddenly felt…calm. 

They finally broke apart and he rested his forehead on hers as they both tried to regain their composer.

“What was that for?”  She asked in a quiet voice as she looked up at him.

“That is called a distraction Kitten.”

“But why that?”  She couldn’t quite grasp the fact that he had kissed her and she had kissed him back.

“Anyone ever tell you that you ask a lot of questions?”

“Yeah. You.”

“Hmmm.”

“But why?”

“You’re going to question this to death, aren’t you?”

“But why that?  Why me?” She was starting to panic slightly.  She could barely identify others feeling let alone her own and it was becoming troublesome.

“Did you ever think it’s because I wanted to.”  It bothered him that she thought she wasn’t worth it. 

“But…”  She started to say but didn’t get to finish because he kissed her again. Still just as soft but a bit more determined.  They both broke apart again so that they could catch their breath before either one of them could speak.

“You are trouble in every sense of the word Kitten.”

“Says the man who is obsessed with kidnapping me.”  She slightly smiled as she looked up at him.

“Yes, well admittedly not my best laid plan.”  He diverted his eyes and pulled away slightly.  “So, what does this all mean now?”  She was quiet for a moment watching him as he suddenly seemed nervous which was something she was not use to seeing with him.

“I think we need to focus on finding your sister and then see.”  She noticed him tense slightly as he once again crouched down meeting her eyes.  She tried to hide it, but it just wouldn’t stay hidden.

“Who has hurt you so badly that you have so little self-worth?”  She shifted uncomfortably not wanting to answer but knew it was only a matter of time before he figured it out.  At times, he was more observant than she was.  She looked down fighting the tears that threatened to make an appearance. She took a deep breath and steadied her voice.

“I was sent to live with my uncle when I was eight.  He didn’t want me then or ever but I had nowhere else to go.  He let me know just about every day how much he hated my existence.  If he wasn’t hitting me he would lock me away in the cellar or a closet. Sometimes it would be for days at a time.  When I was thirteen I ran away to live on the streets because I thought it would be better.  For a while it was, surprisingly but after a while I ended up in a group home, which wasn’t bad but I always worried he would find me.  On the streets, I could hide.”

“That’s why you don’t like closed in spaces.”  He added and she nodded.

“That’s why going to Gotham is a bit of a nightmare for me.  He works for the man I believe has your sister.”  He looked at her for a moment before he said anything.

“If this is too difficult for you just give me the information and I’ll go it alone.”

“No.”  She answered with conviction. “He has haunted me enough.  Besides I know the streets there, you don’t.  I know who and what can help.  I said I would find your sister and I intend to follow through.”  He finally nodded his head reluctantly and stood up giving her his hand.  He helped her into a standing position pulling her closer once again.

“Fine.”  He whispered down at her.  “But if he hurts you again…”

“Then you need to let me handle this.  This is my fight, not yours.”  She added softly.  His look said he disagreed but he let it go, for now.

“How is your knee? Can you walk on it?”

“Like I said, I’ve had worse.  I will be fine.”  She started to pick up the bathroom.  More for something to do with her hands than anything.  There was a sudden feeling of awkwardness that had crept into the small room.  She wasn’t sure what to make of it and he too seemed to sense it because he was suddenly behind her.  She meant his eyes in the mirror and had a sudden flash of familiarity. It was something she had shut away so long ago, something she wanted to kept locked away. He couldn’t possibly be _that_ person.  That person had been gone for a long time.  They had told her he was gone.  She searched her memory for something, anything that might explain it.  She shook her head to clear the thought and leaned back ever so slightly into him.  A sense of peace suddenly settled over her.

“What are you worrying about?”  It scared her on how well he could read her.

“It’s nothing, just a memory.”  He turned her around and looked down into her troubled eyes. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms causing her to shiver slightly.

“You want to tell me about what.”  She shook her head.

“It’s nothing, it’s a crazy thought anyway.”  He just looked down at her pinning her in place with his gaze. “You just reminded me of someone from long ago.  Someone who is long gone.”  He was quiet for a moment before he replied.

“Is that a good thing?”  She smiled slightly at the memory.

“Yeah, it’s a good thing.” She was suddenly hit by a wave of sadness but pulled away from him before he could see it.  “We should make a plan for this road trip.”  She moved from the bathroom into the bedroom retrieving her bag from the closet and started to pack.  She wasn’t sure how long they would be gone so she needed to figure out who could take care of her cat, but who?  She didn’t really know any of her neighbors except for Jordan and that was questionable at best.

“I think I need to call your friend Barry.”  She stated as he watched her from where he was leaning against the bathroom door frame.

“Why would you do that?”  he asked in annoyance.

“Well I need a favor from him and he did say to ask if I needed anything.”

“He is not my friend and there is nothing you need from him.” He had a scowl on his face and she couldn’t help but hide a smile.

“My, my we really need to get a hold of that jealously streak of yours.”

“I told you I don’t get jealous.”  He now stood with his arms crossed and almost chuckled because he looked like a two-year-old who wasn’t getting his way.  He caught her smile and raised an eyebrow. 

“Well maybe I will call _my_ friend Barry and I’m sure he will be more than happy to help me.”

“He is not your friend either.  You just met him.”  His frown deepened as her smile grew.  She was having way too much fun at his expense.

“I make friends fast.”  He took a step forward in protest but she held up her hand and chuckled as she shook her head.

“Will you relax.  I was just going to ask him to take Cat.”  She sat down on the bed.  She had just finished packing and zipped up her bag.  She felt his eyes on her and looked up to see his confused look.  “Remember, my cat?”  As if hearing her name the small black creature wandered into the bedroom with a soft _meow_ before wasping around Leonard’s legs before hopping up on the bed and settling into her mistress’s lap.  “See, Cat.”  She added as she stroked the cat automatically.

“You named your cat, Cat?”  He had moved so that he was sitting on the bed being mindful not to bump her still throbbing knee.  He had moved her bag to the floor.

“Well, I didn’t know what else to call her so Cat it is.  So, do you think Barry is a cat person?”  She asked looking at him innocently.  He scowled again and looked away.  She sighed and chuckled as the cat got up from her lap and pumped herself in the middle of Snart’s lap.  He looked down at the very content creature and then back up at Sophie with a look that pleaded help, a scowl still firmly in place.  His hands hovered above Cat unsure on what he should be doing.

“Aww, she likes you.”  Sophie couldn’t help but find the humor in his discomfort.

“She’s annoying like you.”  He said expressionless.

“Just pet her.”  She ignored his statement.  He looked up at her for an explanation she just shrugged her shoulders. “She just wants to feel safe.”  She looked away before the true meaning of the words came back to haunt her.

 They were both silent for a moment. The only sound was Cat purring as he finally did pet her although rather reluctantly.

“Fine, here’s your phone.”  He said giving it to her with a slight guilty half smile. She glanced down at it and then back up at him shaking her head.

“Who do you keep getting that?”  She took it from him.  “And more importantly, why?”

“Just to keep you on your toes, now about that call.”  She snorted slightly as she dialed the number.  He picked up on the third ring.  He answered with a very, overly cheerful hello.

“Hey, Barry remember when you said I could ask you for anything?  So, I was wondering, do you like cats?” 

 


	6. Road Trip

**Chapter Six**

**Road Trip**

            “You are not taking that!”  She said adamantly pointing at the cold gun he held at his side.   She was grateful that it was early morning and no one was out yet so she wouldn’t have to explain this to anyone.  He tightened his grip on his gun and just scowled at her.  “It’s not coming!”  She said again.  “And stop giving me that look or your face will freeze that way.”  He just looked at her with a raised eyebrow when she realized what she had just said.  She giggled a little and then placed here hand over her mouth to stop the sound from coming out.  “Sorry, no pun intended.  It just sort of slipped out.  Seems to happen a lot with you around.”  She added as she smiled at his unchanged expression.

            “Funny, you’re a comedian today and yes it’s coming.”

            “I know I’m hysterical and no it is not coming.”

            “McAllister!”

            “Fine! But it’s way in the back, under everything.  God, forbid we get pulled over for whatever reason.  It’s going to be hard enough explaining why your sitting in my front seat.  I do not what to explain that thing too.”

            “You could always say I kidnapped you.”

            “Now who is being the comedian.  My trip, my rules.”  They both stood their arms crossed waiting for the other to budge, neither one giving in.  Finally, he shifted and sighed slightly placing his gun under a blanket that she indicated.  She smiled in triumphant as he with a scowl still firmly on his face, made his way to the passenger side.  This being another battle that she had won.  He had wanted to drive saying he could shorten the drive of their four-hour trip.  She insisted that it wasn’t a getaway vehicle and wanted to get there alive.  _My car, my rules_ was her comeback.

            Once in the car she turned to him with a smile as she started the car.

            “Don’t look so happy about it.  You are not going to win every argument.”  He said dryly.

            “But it sure is fun to try.”  She added putting the car into gear and eased it out onto the freeway.  She had meant Barry early that morning to pass off Cat, which he had taken reluctantly.  She had told him if it was too much of a problem to call Ellie and she would come.   She had promised to call if she was going to be longer than a few days.  She really didn’t want to be in Gotham any longer than necessary.

            After traveling for a while with only the sound of the radio, he was the one who broke the silence. 

            “So, tell me about this friend I remind you of.”  He said it so casually that at first, she wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly.  She tightened the grip on the steering wheel and continued to stare out at the road.

            “Just someone I knew when I was a kid, but like I said he’s gone now.”  He frowned at her response.

            “What happened to him?”  She readjusted her grip on the steering wheel trying to find some way to change the subject.

            “We are going to need to stop for gas sometime here soon.”  She could feel his continuous stare on her as she kept her attention on the road.  “There should be a gas station right up here.”

            “I wouldn’t recommend stopping there.”

            “Why not?”  She asked with a frown.

            “Mick and I may or may not have been involved in a robbery there not that long ago.”  She gave him a look out of the corner of her eye shaking her head in disbelief.

            “Okay, we will try the next one then.”  She said as she drove by the station and noticed two police cars sitting by it.  Leonard turned so that he was looking at her as she sped by slightly, amusement dancing in his eyes. If they weren’t pulled over before they reached their destination it would be a miracle.  “The next one is not that far off.  We can stop at that one.”  She added as she looked in her rear view mirror making sure they weren’t being followed.

            “That one isn’t a good idea either.”  He stated mater of factly.

            “Is there anyone you didn’t rob?”  She asked hotly.

            “It was a quiet weekend.”  He stated with a shrug of his shoulders.   “We were board.”

            “You were board?”  She asked in disbelief.  “So, what?  You decided to rob every gas station from here to Gotham?  What were you going for, some kind of record?”

            “Something like that.”

            “Well that’s just perfect.  Where would you suggest we go than?”  She asked sarcastically.

            “Anything after that is fine.”

            “Anything after that is the desert.” He leaned over to look at his gas gage.

            “You will make it.”  He straightened back up as they passed another station.

            “I’ll hold you to that. And if I die in the desert I’m coming back to haunt you.”

            “You are not going to die in the desert.  Don’t be so dramatic.”

            “I might not die but you will.”  She added narrowing her eyes at him slightly.  “For the record, I am not dramatic.”

            “Whatever you say Kitten.”  Silence followed them for a little while until he brought the subject back up again.

            “So, this friend, what happened to him?”  She really didn’t want to talk about it.

            “Why do you want to know so badly?”  She was trying so hard not to show her sadness.  She didn’t even want to remember it, she couldn’t.

            “Because I honestly thought you would have figured it out by now.”  He watched her gaging her reaction.  “What happened to him?”  She opened her mouth in protest but figured he would just wear her down.

            “Figure what out?”

            “What happened to him?”  He demanded again.  She felt her anger take hold and all her emotions and all of the memories came flooding back full force.  She slammed on the brakes pulling over to the side of the road.  She turned and looked at him in anger.

            “He died, okay!  He was my best friend and they told me he died.  I didn’t believe them, didn’t want too.  For over a year I kept asking for him and they finally told me he died.  I had run away more than once.  I even made it to our street one time.  I was eight and that was the day they sent me to live with my uncle.”  Tears threated to spill from her eyes.  “It was one of the worse days of my life and I really don’t want to remember it.”  She turned back around to face out the window.  She gripped the steering wheel again and took a few deep breaths, willing herself not to cry.  There was silence for a few minutes and she went to put the car in gear again when he spoke.

            “I didn’t know.  I am sorry you had to go through that but I really thought that by now you would have figured it out.”

            “You keep saying that!  Figure what out?  Why do you keep saying that?”  She threw her arms up in frustration.  He gave her a sad little smile.

            “Come on Penny, I thought by now that you knew.  I mean I even programed my name in your damn phone.”  He looked at her shocked expression as she opened and closed her mouth unsure on what to say.  No one had ever called her by that name but him.  No one was ever even allowed to.  It was a nick name he had given her because he had always said she was like his bad penny that had turned into his lucky penny.  That matched with her hair color had turned into their secret story.  She had never told anyone about that, ever. Only Leo, her Leo knew and he was gone, or was he?  It would certainly explain a lot.  She looked up into Leonard Snart’s face careful to keep all her emotions in check.  Instead she felt them start to bubble up fast and knew she had to leave the small confined space so she left the car walking to the front.  She stared out at the desert road in front of her hands held in tight fists as if trying to hold it all in.  She wasn’t sure how to process any of this.  She felt his eyes on her and then his door opened.  A few seconds later he too was staring out at the road as he stood beside her arms crossed.  She finally turned to him.

            “How in the hell do you know that name?”  She took a step back from him.  He turned and meet her glare as she had her internal battle. He didn’t answer so she asked him again in a very loud voice. “How do you know it!?”  He took a step forward but she took another step back.

            “Pen..”  He started but she continued.

            “Answer the damn question!”  He grabbed her by the shoulders pulling her closer even when she fought it.

            “You know the answer to that.  I told you I would never lie to you, that I never had.  I know you know that I am telling you the truth.  I know you can feel that.”  She stilled for a moment feeling the never ending flood of memories, emotions and truth.  She looked up at him with fear and tears in her eyes.

            “Leo?”  She questioned hesitantly and very quietly.  He looked at her in relief.

            “I remember the first time I saw you.  It was spring and you showed up next door in the pink ruffled dress that you absolutely hated and these ridiculous brown cowboy boots that were two sizes too big.  When I asked you why you were dressed that way you gave me a black eye.  From that day on I knew you were a force to be reckoned with and I needed to be on your good side.  So, I decided I needed a friend.”  She continued to stare up at him as he continued.  “Remember our spot?  The one under the tree in the hedge row near the edge of the woods.  You used to beg me to beg me to run away with you.  You always wanted to hide there.  When they took you away I used to go to that spot thinking you would somehow be there.  I did it for over a year.”  He didn’t get a change to continue because she suddenly flung herself at him wrapping her arms around his chest sobbing.  She suddenly had a sense of calm and peace settle over her.  Unlike anything she had felt in a very long time.  He pulled her close holding her tight and laying a gentle kiss on her temple.

            “It’s okay Kitten, I’ve got you now…”  She continued to cry for a moment and then quieted down.

            “I’m sorry.”  She whispered.  “I really thought…”  He didn’t let her finish but pulled her away slightly and looked down at her.

            “There is nothing for you to be sorry for.”  She looked down at the ground unsure on how to respond.

            “Sophie, look at me.”  She slowly looked up at him as he lightly rubbed her arms up and down causing her to shiver as it always did.  A common result to his touches. Her eyes net his, once holding a cold look now holding something more affectionate.

            “You have nothing to be sorry for.”  He repeated. “It’s going to be okay but you had better believe that this time I am not letting you go.  We will find my sister, we will get you out of Gotham.  Then we will figure out the rest.”  He watched her carefully as she finally nodded her head and then lay her head on his chest once more.  He tightened his arms around her again.  He knew she was still slightly in shock but he had been too when he had first seen her again.   He was never one to be controlled or even showed emotions but with her it was different.  It always had been.  She was his one true friend, next to Mick.  She was his family and much more than that.  She was his past.  A time in his life before everything went to hell.  She had been his innocence and she had steadied him. He heard her sniff slightly and he ran his hand up and down her back kissing the top of her head.

            “I’ll buy you a box of poptarts if it will make you feel better.”  She gave a small laugh.

            “Only if they are the brown sugar ones.”  She looked up at him and he suddenly noticed how tired she seemed.  He frowned slightly and smoothed down a piece of her hair.

            “Okay, but you need to let me drive.” 

            “No, it’s okay. I’m fine.”  She said as she tried to pull away but he stopped her.

            “No, you’re not my lucky penny.  So, let me do this.”

            “You do know that you are the only one who is ever allowed to call me by that ridiculous nick name.  What is it about you and nick names anyway?”  He shrugged and gave her a cocky grin.

            “I know and you wrinkle your nose when I call you them. It’s cute.”

            “Cute?”

            “Yes Kitten, cute.  Now come on in you go.”  He said with a slight note of authority as he helped her into the passenger seat.  Once she was settled he just stood looking at her. She seemed so small and almost childlike, just like the girl he remembered.  But there was nothing fragile or weak about the girl in front of him now.  She was a fighter, a survivor much like himself.  A part of him wanted to identify the sudden surge of emotion he was having but he quickly squished it down.  She must have noticed his hesitation and asked him.

            “Hey, you okay?”  He cleared his throat and stepped away causing her to frown this time.

            “Yeah, we should just get going.”  She looked at him unconvinced but nodded her head in agreement as he closed her door and made his way to the driver’s seat. He didn’t want to be having these feelings, didn’t want to give in to the over whelming urge to protect her.  She was his family, but she was also something more than that and that was something he was having a tough time comprehending. She had a way of wiggling into his carefully cold constructed shield and get under his skin in a way no one else could. He was afraid of what could happen to her because of it.  They had already taken his sister and he wasn’t about to let them take her as well.  They had said they would call when he was needed.  He hated that they held him over a barrel like this, hated that in reality he could do nothing to stop it for fear of his sister’s life.  He had hoped that Sophie would be able to find Lisa before the call would be made and if not he thought he would be able to disconnect from her.  There was, of course other avenues he could have taken. Other people he could have asked, but asking for help was something he wasn’t fond of especially someone who would hold it over him.  He had asked Sophie for the soul purpose of getting to know her again and helping her to remember.  And he trusted her, more than most people. Unfortunately, it may cause her to get hurt and that bothered him more than anything. If he was honest with himself he might say he was falling for her, hard and that scared him much more than anything else for he knew he would fight for her until the end. He looked over at her sleeping form vowing to not lose her again.

******************************************************************************

            She woke up sometime later to a hand lightly touching her knee.  He had given it a light shake and ran his thumb gently over her recent wound.  She blinked repeatedly to regain her bearings.  He had covered her with his jacket and there was a box of brown sugar poptarts resting in her lap.   She looked up at him with a confused look.

            “We’re in the city limits.”  She sat up slightly rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

            “We’re did you get these?  She asked holding up the box.

            “You were right, I had to stop for gas and I did promise.”  He looked at her with a twinkle in his eye and a ghost of a smile.

            “Huh, never thought I would ever hear you say I was right.”  She teased him.

            “Funny McAllister, now where too?”  Despite being in Gotham to find his kidnapped sister he seemed oddly relaxed.  More so than he had been the entire time.  She found it slightly suspicious but then again everything about him was suspicious.  She must have been giving him a strange look because he turned to look at her and spoke.

            “Kitten?”  She gave herself a mental shake.  “You all right?”  She gave him a bit of a smile.

            “Yeah, it’s just two streets over.  There is a small motel there.  Its far enough away that no one will notice us.”  She turned and looked back out the window taking in the city around her.  She was suddenly struck by the horrible memories of this place.  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as they pulled into the parking lot of their destination.  She didn’t want to remember this place, she didn’t want to relive any of it but she knew she had to get past it.  He seemed to sense her internal battle as he parked the car.  She meant his eyes in the dark interior.

            “I’m okay.”  She answered in a quiet voice as he took in her pale face.  She was shaking slightly but turned to open the door tearing her eyes away from his.  She wasn’t quite fast enough as he firmly yet gently grabbed her arm preventing her from getting out. She looked over at him again.

            “You are not okay so stop saying that you are.”  She tried to turn away but he had her trapped with his gaze.  “You don’t have to do this.  We will find another way.”  She took another deep breath and closed her eyes for a second.  When she opened them again she tried to convey determination but she wasn’t sure if it rang true.

            “I need to face this demon one way or another.  I can’t keep running from it.”  He slowly nodded his head finally in agreement but reluctantly so. His face once again void of any emotions.  She knew he was worried, she could _feel_ that he was worried.  He finally released her arm and they both got out of the vehicle and walked into the motel.

            Behind the desk sat an old man who looked as if he would rather be anywhere else but his current location.  It was a bit run down but she knew no one would bather them there.  It was as safe as it was going to get and for the time being it would have to do. 

            “It’s twenty-five by the hour.”  The man said in a gravelly voice without looking up as he fished around in a small cardboard box to fish out a dingy looking key tossing it in front of them on the desk. She could feel her cheeks getting red at the assumption the man was making about her.

            “Actually…”  She started to say but Leonard broke in.

            “She is defiantly worth a hell of a lot more than twenty-five dollars an hour.”  She could feel the anger coming from him in waves and put a hand to his chest to stop him from doing or saying anything further.

            “What my _friend_ is trying to say here is that we are just passing through and need a place to say for a night or two.  Do you have two rooms available?”  The man finally looked up eyeing both of them suspiciously.

            “I can give you one room for seventy-five a night.”

            “That’s all you’ve got?”  She asked,

            “If you don’t want it than take your business elsewhere.”  He snapped back at her causing her to jump back into Leonard who put a hand on her waist to steady her. Being from Gotham she was used to the brash characters but Leonard was getting increasingly agitated. 

            “We’ll take it.”  She said before anything else could be and picked up the key grabbing Leonard’s arm on the way out the door. They found their room in the back of the building on the end.  They made their way to the room when a sudden wave of nervousness hit her.  One room would mean close contact with one another.  In her apartment, she had a door that separated them.  Granted it never had stopped him before from invading her space but at least it had something. 

            She stood behind him bag in hand as he unlocked the door.  She should thank him for saying what he had to the clerk but she wasn’t sure she should.  How did you thank someone for believing you were worth more than a twenty-five an hour prostitute?  It would turn into a very awkward discussion.

            “You’re welcome.”  Leonard said breaking her out of her thought process.

            “I’m sorry?”  She questioned in a confused tone.  Then it dawned on her as he just looked down at her with his trade mark smirk. “Oh.”  She said feeling her cheeks grow warm.  “I didn’t realize that I said that out loud.”  He pushed open the door and stepped aside.

            “After you Kitten.”  She looked up at him as he gestured for her to go in first.  She could feel the amusement seeping from him.

            “Are you laughing at me?” 

            “Not at all.”  He smiled at her as she glared up at him as she passed him entering the room. A room she really wished she hadn’t especially when she turned on the light. Dingy wallpaper was pulling away and it looked like it had been there since the turn of the century.  The carpet didn’t look much better and she didn’t even want to think about the bathroom.  She closed her eyes clenching her beloved poptarts to her chest as she took a deep breath and really wished she hadn’t.  She almost gaged as the stench finally hit her.

            “Well this is cozy.”  Leonard piped behind her.  That was when she noticed the very small bed in the room and it absolutely terrified her of what she might find under the bed speared.  There was absolutely no way the two of them would even fit on it.  Then she looked up at the ceiling to find a mirror hung right above it.  That did it.  She quickly turned around and walked back out of the room and got back into her car.

            “There is absolutely no way that this is happening.”  She said only to hear him laughing behind her.


	7. A Friendly Face in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N So those who have read my Arrow story The Four Times That They Met, this will make sense. Have fun reading and please let me know what you think. I’ve had so much fun writing Sophie and Leonard’s story and would love to hear what you think. To those who do thanks as always. Enjoy 

**Chapter Seven**

**A Friendly Face in the Dark**

            Several hours later Sophie stood looking out the window of her much better motel room.  Sleep evaded her and her mind filled with pictures and memories of her past.  Thankfully they had been able to get two adjoining rooms.  At least she wouldn’t keep him awake with her pacing and sleeplessness.  At least that is what she thought.

            She was staring out at a fixed point in the darkness.  She could see the shadows of the rising city all around, she could feel the darkness within it and she shivered at the thought.  There was a deep seeded darkness in Gotham, always had been but it had been her home once upon a time. She was remembering what had brought her here the first time when she sensed someone else in the room.   She turned to find Leo sitting on the edge of her bed looking at her, his hands folded in front of him.  She wasn’t really surprised to see him there but she sensed something from him.  She just couldn’t pin point what.  She looked at him for a moment before she turned her attention back to the window. 

            “How long have you been there?”  She asked quietly.  She felt him more than heard him when he stood up and came to stand behind her.

            “Long enough.”  He said just as quietly.  He was quiet for a moment and she could feel as he stepped closer.  He didn’t touch her but there was very little space between them.  She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, his hand just hovering at her waist as if he was suddenly unsure of himself. “I never should have involved you in any of this.”  He spoke softly in her ear sending a shiver down her body.  She turned around to look at him, his hands finally settling where they hovered and he pulled her closer.

            “I told you, I’m oka….”   She started to say.

            “Stop saying that.”  He practically growled his frustration.  “You are not okay.  Nothing about this is okay.  I never should have asked….”  She put a hand on his chest to keep him from continuing.

            “Listen to me, okay. I am only going to say this one more time.  I am all right.  Yes, this God forsaken place is full of bad memories for me and I don’t want to be here any longer than I need to be.  That being said as crapy as it is, it was my home.  Gotham is a city with a deep seeded darkness.  You either embrace it or let it consume you.  I choose to embrace it, no matter what I think.   Now I promised to find your sister.  That is my job, it is what I am good at and I will find her.  But you have got to stop worrying about me.  This is about you and you’re family, not me, not this place.”  He just stared at her, his eyes void of emotion.  This would worry her if she wasn’t feeling his emotions in waves.  For a moment, they just stood there unmoving.  He was the first to move as he brought his hands up to grip her arms gently, but firmly.  They then made their way to her face as he cradled it in his hands.

            “You are my family too.  You always have been. You are also one of the most frustrating and stubborn people I know.  Now you are going to hear me. I will always protect you, watch out for you and yes, worry about you.  That is never going to change.  I do need to find Lisa and I will but not this way. Not if you keep insisting that you are fine when I know you’re not.” She Lay her hands on his wrist intending to bring his hands down but looking up at him she couldn’t so she reached up on her toes and gently kissed him.  It was meant to be a reassurance but when she tried to pull away he removed one of his hands and snaked it around her waist pulling her closer and deepened the kiss.  He made her knees weak, her thoughts fuzzy and her emotions go into over load.   She knew she should stop this before it went somewhere she wasn’t sure she was ready for but for whatever reason, she didn’t.  He suddenly had both arms around her waist slightly picking her up and backing her up against the wall.  His lips moving from hers to her jaw line, her ear and then her neck.  She could barely breath but wrapped her own hands around his neck, her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.  His hands wandering up the back of her shirt.  His touch left a trail of icy fire that seemed to lick at her soul.  Her skin feeling like it was on fire everywhere he touched.  She felt him lightly finger the scar on her lower back and she froze momentarily but his fingers still wandered up until…. he stopped and pulled back looking at her.  She couldn’t catch her breath and looked at him questionably. He set her back on her feet but kept an arm around her keeping her pinned against the wall.  He reached into his pocket for his buzzing phone.  Without taking his eyes from her he answered without saying anything.  He stood still, his face unreadable but she could tell something had change. He rested his forehead against her shoulder for a moment before he pulled away.  Her knees still felt like jelly and she used the wall to steady herself.

            “Let me talk to her.”  He said into the phone as he started pacing the room pulling his hand through his short chopped hair.  “If you want me to do this than I need to hear her voice!  Let me talk to my sister!”  A dangerous tone crept into his voice.  Sophie, who had finally been able to regain her composure, pushed herself from the wall went and sat on the bed where he had once again sat.  He reached over and took her hand as he put his phone on speaker.

            “Lenny?”  A voice sounded.  She heard and felt him take a slight sign of relief.

            “Hi sis, you giving them hell?”  He asked with a slight smile.  He knew his sister well.

            “You better believe it.”  She sounded tired, scared but was putting on a very brave front.  The two had more in common than one may think.  She sounded very much like her brother.

            “I’m coming for you so hang tight.”  Before either of them could say anything else there was another voice on the other end.  This one was male and very rough, to Sophie also very familiar.

            “Four hours Snart.  In four hours, you will be sent an address.  You go there and you wait.  We will be in contact then.”

            “What about my sister?!”  He growled into the phone.

            “Four hours or your pretty little sister won’t be so pretty anymore.”  Then the line went dead.  He looked down at it in defeat.

            “Hey.”  She said gripping his hand. “Look at me.”  He slowly looked up to meet her gaze.  “This is good.  We know that she is okay and they have contacted you.  Which means they still need you.  They won’t do anything to her as long as you cooperate.”

            “How is any of this good?”  He asked in a cool tone but he didn’t move away.

            “Well for one, I know who has her.  I recognized the voice.  He is a low life by the name of Marlow.  He basically works for whoever will pay him.  My uncle use to use him for odd jobs here and there.  He is basically a pawn.”

            “How dangerous is he?”  She shook her head.

            “Not half as much as he would like to believe.  It’s not him we need to worry about.  The threat is who he is working for.  Now they are ready to give you what they need.  When we figure out what that is then we can go from there.  
            Do you know where she is?”  He asked as if he was afraid of the answer. 

            “I have an idea, where he usually hangs out, the people he associates with.  I can narrow it down quite a bit.  He’s a creature of habit.  We find him we find Lisa.  When you were talking to him I heard the faint sound in the back ground. It was a fog horn from a boat and there is only one place in Gotham where that can be heard.  That and Marlow tends to hide in places like that.”

            “So, you’re thinking the harbor.” 

            “I think it is a reasonable place to start.”  He took a deep breath before turning to look at her.  He tucked a small strand of hair behind her ear where it had fallen in her eyes.

            “How is it that I don’t trust anyone else but you?”  She smiled slightly at him.

            “Maybe I am just that good at what I do.”  She offered as he looked at her before turning away.

            “Maybe.”  He said quietly.  “But I think it is something more than that.”  He moved toward her as if to kiss her again but was stopped by her phone buzzing this time.  She pulled it out to see who it was and he looked at her questionably.

            “Remember, you trust me and I would never do anything to displace that trust.”  He looked at her with a twinge of suspicion. “I said that if we needed to call for outside help I would.  I trust this person with my life, okay?”  She nodded and without him responding she answered her phone.  “I see you made it.”  She said.  “You got what I need?”  She nodded as the person on the other end responded.  She nodded one more time.  “Good, we can meet in about an hour? Down by the river?  Okay, see you then Abby.”  She hung up the phone and Leonard looked at her with a look of distrust.  “Look she has a certain set of resources that can be very useful and I do trust her.”

            “Who is she?”

            “Her name is Abigail Ryan.  She and I meant in a group home when they took me off the streets.  She is also my partner in my PI business.  Right now, she works in Star City and is an expert on cold cases.  Luck would have it that she was already on her way here to work on a case that may have ties to this one.”  This seemed to peak his interest.

            “How so?”  He asked.

            “Because a few years ago the same thing that happened to your sister, happened to her brother. Adam was the only one she had left in the world but he was a soldier.  She always said that when he came back he wasn’t the same.  One day he didn’t come home at all and then a few years ago she gets a call saying that if she wanted to see her brother alive than she needed to get something for them.  She never found out what it was because hours before she was to meet them her brothers body was delivered to her on her front porch.”  He looked at her with a start. “Don’t worry, this time will be different.  We figured that Adam put up a fight and was injured which lead to his death.  We don’t believe that was the plan. And like I said, she works cold cases, I work missing persons.  She has been working this for a long time.  We found who held him but not who hired him.  But she thinks they may have a lead.”

            “You said _they_?”  She noticed his reluctance.

            “She has a…unique resource.  Look I will meet with her, while you find out what they want.  With the information we have and a little luck we will get your sister before things move sideways, but you need to trust me.”  She looked at him hopefully, he returned her look with one of intensity.

            “You know I do, it’s just others I don’t.”  She looked up into his eyes that held a hint of worry.  She gripped his hand in reassurance.

            “Then let me trust them.”  He slowly nodded his head in a hesitant but silent agreement.

            “I still don’t like that you are planning on going alone.”

            “But I will be fine.  She is a friend and you need to find out what they need from you.”  He opened his mouth to protest but she put her hand up to stop him.  “And before you say anything, you don’t have time to come with me.  For all we known they will need you on the other side of the city.  So, I’ll meet with my people and you meet with yours.  We will meet back here and plan our next move.”  He looked at her for a few more seconds before he pulled away and stood up.

            “Fine, but be careful.” She nodded her head in agreement.

            “You too.”  He turned to leave the room but stopped and turned back to her.  Pulling her to her feet and holding her tightly to him.  He wrapped his one hand around her waist and the other was in her hair.

            “Just so you know, I always finish what I start.”  He whispered in her ear and then he kissed her again.  His tongue doing things to her she never thought possible.  He pulled away, finally leaving the room and leaving her breathless again.  Lord, oh lord she was in trouble.

            An hour later she made her way to the river.  It was a quiet out of the way area but had special meaning to her and Abby.  There was a bench sitting on the silent bank and a tree not too far away. Abby and her use to go here as children.  It took them away from whatever was troubling them at the time.  They had first met in that very spot.  Abby was already in the group home but at the time Sophie was still living on the streets.  It was a particularly chilly day when Abby found her huddled under the bench.  It was her who had taken Sophie to the group home saving her life.  The two had become friends for life after that.

            She had been a few minutes early needing to get out of that room to clear her head.  She couldn’t let her mind wonder to what had happened there, with him.  She needed to focus on what she needed to do and her so very obvious attraction to Leonard, her Leo, a friend she had thought lost so many years before.  Her emotions were in such an uproar that she had to push them down.  She told herself not to feel, not to think and to get her job done, but somehow, he kept sneaking back in.  She needed to control her emotions but here she was in the city that she had vowed to never return too, with a man that quite frankly confused the hell out of her.  She shook her head to clear the images that kept popping up.  The man really was trouble in every sense of the word.

            She glanced down at her watch once again and stomped her feet to get herself warm.  No matter what the temperature it was as if Gotham always seemed to have a dark, cold feel about it.  It was as if it was forever stuck this way.  Maybe it was the level of corruption and crime that made up the chill.  Whatever the case she could never seem to shake it.  She shivered slightly and that was when she felt rather than heard someone approach her from behind.  She didn’t turn around but continued to stare out at the water while the person came to stand beside her.

            “Someone really needs to turn the lights on and the heat up in this place.”

            “Says the girl from Star City.”  Sophie returned with a smile as she turned to greet her friend.  “How are you Abby?”

            “Fantastic!”  She added sarcastically and she too turned to her friend giving each other a hug.  “Not as good as you but surviving.”  They pulled apart as Abby reached into her bag and pulled out a thick file folder, handing it to Sophie.

            “We all are _just surviving_ but it is still good to see you.”

            “You too Sophie. So are you going to tell me what this is all about.  I mean you swore you would never return here and yet you are.”

            “I know, it’s complicated and I really need to see this through.”

            “Well you were right.  The ones who took my brother are the same people who took your clients sister.”  Abby tried to hide the sorrow that was still so fresh in her mind.  Sophie put her hand on her friend in comfort and read much more than sorrow. Something she hadn’t expected, hope.

            “I’m so sorry for dragging you into this Abby.  It can’t be easy for you.”

            “You didn’t drag me into anything, that’s what friends are for.  Besides I was already working this angle.”  She gestured toward the folder Sophie held tightly in her hand.  “I hope this helps.”

            “I have no doubt it will.”

            “Speaking of friends, how does someone like you make friends with a thief who has kidnapped you on more than one occasion?”  Sophie should be surprised by the statement but very little did.

            “The same way you became friends with the Star City vigilante.”  Abby looked at her with a start and Sophie only smiled. “You’re not the only one who knows her stuff.”  She shrugged and shouted out into the dark.  “You can come out now. I know your there.”  She looked past Abby into the darkness.

            “How do you do that?”  Abby whispered to her as a figure appeared not to far from them.

            “The same way you remember every detail of everything.”  She nodded her head in acknowledgement toward the hooded figure that stayed in the shadow.  Strange that she didn’t fear him.  He was rather menacing with his tall muscular build and intimidating gaze.  She could feel him watching her with curiosity but she herself saw no features.

            So…body guard?”  She asked.

            “He insisted.”  She seemed slightly annoyed by it and Sophie couldn’t help but laugh a little.

            “Yeah I get that.”  She then turned to the figure in the dark. “Just so you know, Gotham has their own vigilante and he doesn’t play well with others so I suggest you tread lightly.”  She could almost sense a slight smile and then he spoke for the first time in his graveled distorted voice.

            “I’m just here for her.”  He nodded his head toward Abby who rolled her eyes at the statement.

            “And I told him I could handle this on my own.”  She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes in his direction.

            “Well I told mine the same thing and he still thinks he can hide in the trees and I won’t know he is there.”  She too crossed her arms and looked out into the trees behind her.  “I thought I told you I could handle this.”  She could practically hear him sigh in defeat and frustration.  Leonard Snart stepped out from behind the trees gripping his cold gun.

            “You seriously have to tell me how you do that.”  Abby said.  Instead of responding however she just glared at Snart who was looking anything but apologetic.

            “I will not be sorry for watching out for you.” 

            “It’s as if you still don’t trust me.”  She snapped back hotly.  He gazed back at her with a flicker with anger.

            “You, I trust.  I don’t know them.”  He nodded in the direction of Abby and her hooded friend.

            “But I do!  I trust her!  Why can’t you except that?  We agreed!”  She could feel her anger start to get the best of her and she also noticed that suddenly they were almost toe to toe.

            “You assumed I agreed.”

            “I assumed…”  She sputtered. “You Bastard!”  She yelled back at him.

            “And you’re a pain in the ass.”  She opened her mouth to argue again but Abby stepped in whispering a quiet _wow_ putting herself between the two causing her friend to step further from the shadow tightening his grip on his bow.

            “Okay as much fun as this is to watch, truly, everyone needs to step back.”  She glanced at all three.  “And that means everyone.”  She turned to Snart and stated. “Look we are all on the same side.  I know you want to get your sister back and we will.”  She then turned back to Sophie.  As for you.  Stop trying to do everything by yourself.   Stop thinking you can take on the entire world and that you are fine when we both know that you being here is nothing short of torture for you.”  She then turned toward her vigilante. “And as for you, you just need to relax already.  So now that, that is out of the way. Leonard Snart, Sophie McAllister meet the Star City vigilante, the Arrow.”

            “Well this is going to be fun.”  Sophie added sarcastically as she once again crossed her arms.


	8. Two Girls, A Thief, and A Vigilante

**Chapter Eight**

**Two Girls, A Thief and a Vigilante**

            “This isn’t going to work.” The Arrow growled several hours later as they all gathered once again.  This time it was an abandoned warehouse on the out skirts of town.  The irony of it was not lost on Sophie. 

            “I agree with Robin Hood over there.”  Snart nodded.  The first words he had spoken since coming back from his _meeting_ with the so-called kidnappers. Sophie hadn’t gotten much from him only that they were after some encrypted file.  The contents of that, however, was yet to be determined.  He refused to offer any more information which included who else was involved. She could feel him pulling away and she couldn’t figure out why and it irritated her to no end.  That and the fact that he was actually agreeing with the Arrow which seemed to take them all by surprise.  She could literally feel him distancing himself and it made her want to cry in frustration but she would be damned if she was ever going to let him see that again.   So, to make sure she wouldn’t be tempted to touch him, speak to him or anything else she put as much distance between them as possible. Abby, who noticed this gave Sophie a questioning look but Sophie refused to meet her eyes.  She didn’t want her friend to see her conflicting emotions.  Abby, who in reality could read her friend better than she thought just sighed slightly and shook her head vowing to talk to her once this was done.  She then turned her attention back to the other two people in the room.

            “This is only going to work if we all talk to each other.”  Abby added. “Now what do you know Snart?”  His response was silence and Sophie had finally reached her breaking point.

            “All right, you know what?  I’ve had it!”  She whipped around Abby and pinned Snart down with a glare.  He, however stood his ground but she felt that he was hiding something, something he knew she wouldn’t like.  “You need to talk, now!”  He widened his stance and crossed his arms, keeping his silence.  “What the hell Snart!?  When we came here we agreed on complete honesty and now your keeping quiet?!  After everything?”   He suddenly shifted slightly and a wave of guilt washed over her.  She narrowed her eyes at him. “What did you do!?”  She demanded in such a dangerous tone that everyone in the room took a collective half step back. Leonard, who was the first to recover, lowered his arms and took a hesitant step forward looking down into her angry, hurt eyes.  She was a spit fire he would give her that but what he now knew would most likely destroy her and if he could prevent that, then he would.  At any cost. But he knew he had to approach this differently.  She affected him differently and his usual tactics wouldn’t work.  Slowly he was coming to this realization. He had promised not to lie to her and up until this point he hadn’t, which is why he had stayed silent.  That said, the hurt in her eyes and the fact that she believed he didn’t trust you was almost too much for him.  He looked down at her and went to reach for her but she pulled away.  Not quickly enough for him to notice a single tear as she turned away.  That dissolved his resolve within seconds.

            “Wait.”  He called out for her finally taking hold of her upper arm and turning her around to face him again.  He took a deep breath and ignored the other two narrowing all his attention on what was in front of him.  “I didn’t want to tell you because of what it would do to you.”  Anger still sparked in her eyes but she held her ground.  “I saw Lisa.  She’s okay, giving them hell but okay.”  A flicker of pride laced his words. “They want me to steal something from the office at an art gallery tonight which isn’t a problem…”

            “But?”  Sophie asked quietly

            “Do you know who Templeton is?”  Both Abby and the Arrow seemed to perk up at this.

            “The mob boss?  Sure, everyone in Gotham knows the name.”

            “But do you know him?  Have you seen him?”

            “No one has ever really seen him.  He sticks close to the shadows, hires others to do his dirty work.”  Abby stepped into the conversation.  “Sophie and I were working that angle.  We thought he may be involved. But you’ve seen him, haven’t you?”  Still looking at Sophie he nodded and stepped closer to her.  The anger slipped from her eyes and was replaced by worry, fear and she knew in that moment who exactly it was.  She didn’t want it to believe it but she knew it was the truth.

            “Who is it?”  She asked in a quiet voice.

            “Kitten…”

            “I need to hear it.”  She pleaded with him.

            “Silas Monroe.” She gasped at the name.  “He threatened not only Lisa but you.  He knew of our connection.”  He never took his eyes off from her as he took in her frightened stance.

            “Which means he has been having you watched for a while.”  Abby added quietly.

            “Who is Silas Monroe?”  The Arrow asked from a distance.

            “He is my uncle and the one responsible for making my childhood a living hell.”   Sophie added dropping her eyes to the ground.  She suddenly shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.  Snart took another step toward her but she took another step back.

            “This is my fault.”  She whispered.  “He is doing all of this to get to me, to control me.”

            “This is not your fault Sophie…” Abby started to say.

            “Yes, it is!”  She shouted back.  “I’m so sorry I dragged you all into this.  I’m sorry.”  She said as she turned and ran from the room.  Leonard went to follow her but Abby stopped him.

            “I got this.  You two figure out how we are going to get into that gallery and how we are going to solve this. We need to get her out of this hell hole as soon as possible and we need to end Silas Monroe.”  With that she left the vigilante and thief alone to their own vises, alone, in the same room.  This could only end in one way, either the two of them would kill each other or make a good team.  She sighed really hoping it was the ladder and knew that later she would hear exactly how much of a bad idea it was to begin with. She felt two sets of eyes follow her out of the room as she chased after her friend.

            She found Sophie not that far from the building leaning against her car with her eyes to the sky.  It was as if she was searching the stars for answers, any answers. Abby approached the car and leaned against it as well looking up.

            “Well…”  She started. “That was entertaining.”  Sophie gave a dry bark of laughter.

            “Not my finest moment.”

            “No, but I’ve witnessed worse.”

            “Abby what am I going to do?”  She asked sounding defeated. “This is my fault, all of it.”  Abby turned to look at her friend.

            “How? How is any of this you’re doing?”  Sophie finally looked at Abby.

            “It’s my uncle, my demons to slay and because I’ve been running from it for so long more people are getting hurt.”

            “Then stop running and let’s bring him down. Let’s end this.”  Sophie took a deep breath and looked back up at the stars.

            “Snart is never going to forgive me if something happens to his sister.”

            “I wouldn’t be so sure about that and speaking of which what is going on with you two?  I mean you could practically feel the heat coming from you.”  Sophie could feel her cheeks heat up considerably which caused Abby to grin.

            “There is nothin….”

            “Well that’s just bull poop and you know it.”

            “I’m sorry?!”  Sophie asked hotly.

            “Everyone within a ten-mile radius can obviously see what you are trying so hard to deny.  You my oldest and dearest friend are in love.”  Sophie’s jaw dropped ever so slightly.

            “I am not.”  She denied.

            “You are and I do believe so is he.  From what I gathered from his personality he doesn’t let his emotions lead him like yours do. Except when it comes to his sister and you.  He definitely has feelings for you.  He proved that when he didn’t want to tell you so you wouldn’t have to deal with Silas.  He worries about you, cares about you.”

            “yeah well you have a lot to talk about. What about you and the Arrow?  The same can be said about you.”  Sophie grinned slightly at Abby’s shocked look.  “Not so nice when the tables are turned, is it?”

            “This isn’t about me.”

            “It should be.”

            “You always were always a brat.”

            “When I need to be.”  She took a deep breath. “So, what do I do about my uncle? If he really is Templeton that means he is responsible for a lot more than just being a crappy guardian.”

            “We will stop him.  All of us and we will get him out of your life once and for all.”

            “But how long has he been watching me?  I mean I have spent so much time running from him and now I find out that I never truly got away.”

            “So here is a question for you, how do Snart and Lisa fit into all of this?”  Abby asked.

            “Do you remember me telling you about my friend from my first foster home?  The boy that lived next door.”

            “That’s Leo?!”  Abby asked as the realization hit her.

            “That’s Leo.”  Sophie confirmed.

            “Well that makes a lot more sense.”  Abby confessed.

            “Meaning?”

            “Meaning a thief who has the reputation of causing chaos is suddenly putting everything hon the line for you.”

            “I thought he was dead.  That’s what I was told and like an idiot I believed it.”  Sophie felt the shame of those early days come filtering back in.  “I should have kept looking.  I should have never given up on looking for him.”

            “You were what? Eight?  You were a child. You have enough guilt for all of us but it is severally misplaced. Now Leonard obviously doesn’t blame you so stop blaming yourself, okay.” Abby always had a way of putting things in perspective for her, even when it was something she wasn’t ready to hear.  She nodded her head in agreement.

            “Okay.”  She whispered which earned her a small triumphant smile from Abby.

            “Good because he is not about to let you go again.  That is very apparent.”  Sophie groaned at the statement.

            “Don’t I know it.  It has been a long few weeks and even longer story.”

            “Oh, I have no doubt and I want details later.”  Abby winked at her.  “It is to see you with someone, even if that person is Leonard Snart.”

            “Were not together.”  She took a deep breath. “I’m not sure what we are.”  Abby was one of the only people she could be completely honest with.

            “Is he who I pictured you with? Possibly.  Do I think he is dangerous? Absolutely, to everyone but you.  The two of you are combustible but very compatible at the same time.”

            “So…” Sophie started to say but Abby stopped her.

            “Look, I’m not here to judge the fact that he is a criminal, I mean look at the company I keep.  That said I think the two of you are good together.”

            “I can’t believe you left the two of them in the same room alone together.”  Sophie added.

            “Well maybe they will knock some sense into each other or maybe they decide to finally listen to the girls in their lives and work together because here they come.”  Sophie looked up as the two very unhappy looking guys approached them.  Abby couldn’t compress a smile and Sophie Couldn’t meet Leonard’s eyes.  His however wouldn’t leave her.  It was as if he was wiling her to be okay.

            “I see you two were able to play nice. Do we have a plan?”  Abby asked them both. In turn, both nodded but stayed silent she rolled her eyes. “And?”  She pushed back.

            “And we are going to need help from you two.”  The Arrow growled seemingly more annoyed than before.”

            “We need you two to help cause a distraction from inside the Gala while I grab what they want and green leather over here acts as a look out.” Leonard added as he approached Sophie who still couldn’t meet his eyes.  “But we can go over that later.  We have until tomorrow night. Until then you and I need to have a discussion.”   He added directing the last part toward Sophie who finally looked at him with a worried expression.  He gently placed his hand on her cheek and without a word or even caring that they weren’t alone.  She went willingly and wrapped her arms around him.  Abby cleared her throat nervously and pushed herself away from the car and moved toward the Arrow who looked on expressionless.

            “Oh, stop looting so sour.”  She said to him. “It’s cute.”

            “He’s a criminal.”  He growled back.

            “The same could be said about you.”

            “I’m not a thief.”

            “Unless it gets the job done.”  She heard him snort but he didn’t say anything else.  “We need to get things ready for tomorrow.  Those two need a minute anyway.”

            “I still don’t like this.”

            “Well you don’t need to but I am going to help them.  She is one of my best friends, my sister and I am not, cannot walk away from her.  This could very well be the answer to everything.”

            “Then I’m with you.”

            “Even if it means working with him?”   She asked gesturing in Snart’s direction.  He growled slightly and she raised an eyebrow with her arms crossed in his direction.

            “Yes.”  He finally said and then turned to leave.  “I’ll see you at the rendezvous.”  She nodded in agreement, a tiny smile on her lips for getting her way as he disappeared into the dark.  She herself took one last look at her friend before getting into her own car and leaving.

            Sophie in the meantime couldn’t stop shaking as Leonard ran his hand up and down her spin.  A vision of her uncle still clouding her vision.  She couldn’t shake the fact that he had been watching her all this time.  She couldn’t believe he was one of the most powerful mob bosses in Gotham and she couldn’t believe how many people he was responsible for hurting.

            “I’m so sorry.”  She whispered into his chest as he still held her tightly to his chest, she still held on to him tightly.   She felt him kiss the top of her head.

            “You have nothing to be sorry about.  We have a solid plan and I am not going to let him touch you ever again.”

            “He is dangerous, capable of anything.  I won’t, I can’t….”  She started to say but he stopped her and pulled her away as he looked into her eyes.

            “We can and we will.  No more hiding, either one of us.”  She nodded and took a deep breath.

            “Okay.”  She agreed and let him help her back into the car as they drove back to the hotel room.

            It was late and the streets were dark with only a few of the street lights guided their way.  Within a few minutes they were both in their respected rooms, the door between them left open. There were a few hours before daylight and the plan was to get a few hours of sleep before they went over the final details of their plan.  In all honesty, she knew sleep would evade her because every time she closed her eyes she saw her uncle’s face.  The demon in her nightmares.  After a few minutes of tossing and turning she was just about giving up on sleep all together when she felt him slip in behind her.  He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.  Without saying a word, he just held her and for the first time in a long time.  For the first time in a long time she fell into a dreamless sleep because for the first time she truly felt safe.

            She woke a few hours later to the sun streaming through the window and snuggled in to her cocoon of safety.  She glanced over her shoulder to see that Leonard was still asleep but still held her as tightly.  It was as if he was afraid she would run off in the night.  She took in his relaxed face.  At that moment, he looked years younger and as if he didn’t have a care in the world.  There were traces of the boy she knew so long ago.  He had dealt with so much in his life that he had become cold, detached and emotionless.  Not that she blamed him, she herself had hidden from who she truly was for so long that at times she had forgotten who she truly was.  She continued to watch him and slowly was beginning to see slight traces of the innocent boy he once was.  She was so lost in thought that when he spoke she was startled by his voice.

            “It’s not polite to stare.”  His eyes still partially closed but a small subtle smile pulled at his lips.  She turned in his arms so that she was facing him fully now and finger slightly tracing his jaw line.

            “Sorry, I was just thinking.”  She offered a small smile of her own.

            “About what?”  He had a slight worried look on him face.

            “Just when we were kids.”  She lay her head on his chest listening to his beating heart letting it calm her.  He rubbed his hand up and down her spin as he kissed the crown of her head.

            “Those were good memories.”  He added in a whisper.

            “In my darkest moments, it’s what kept me going.”  She closed her eyes for a moment.

            “What did he do to you?”  He asked after a few minutes of silent.  She looked up at him but couldn’t quite bring herself to say it.  She started to shake her head but he stopped her.

            “Sophie, please tell me.  You can’t keep it all to yourself.  I’m not going to let him hurt you again.  You, my sister anyone.  So please just talk to me.”  She really couldn’t hold it in any more so she took a deep breath and began her long painfilled story.  He was patient with her letting her take her time without saying anything as she poured out the details of the abuse she had suffered. How her uncle would lock her in a small dark closet for days at a time.  How he would beat her sometimes without problication and to the point of unconsciousness.  How when he would break a bone or cut her he would leave her to fend for herself.   

            “That’s how you learned to do your own stitches.”  Leonard said as she finally finished her story.

            “In the beginning, he would take me to the hospital but after several visits people started to ask questions so it stopped.  I learned how to deal with the pain and how to mend my own wounds.”  His hand was suddenly on her lower back fingering the scar that he had found earlier.

            “And this?”  He questioned.  “How did you get this one?”

            “That was a particularly back moment. I had finally had enough and had started to fight back.  I pushed him too far and he threw me through a plate glass window.  It was also the last time I let him touch me.  A piece of the glass lodged in my back.  I was actually lucky that time he took me to the hospital.  I guess he thought it would be harder to explain a dead kid.”  She stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts.  “He kept telling me that when I got out I would pay for standing up to him.  So, the night before I was to be discharged I snuck out.  I lived on the streets instead of going back to him.”  He held her a little bit closer then.

            “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”  He whispered in her ear.  “I should have tried harder when they took you away.”  She looked up at him again.

            “You were just a kid too.  There wasn’t anything you could have done.  We had decisions made for us.”

            “I know, I would like to think things would have been different if they hadn’t sent you away.  That I would be different.”  She reached up and gave him a quick kiss.

            “You are different.”  She said quietly.

            “Only with you Kitten.  I’ve done things, terrible things.  I’ve hurt people and I’m not good for you.  I’m not good for anyone.”

            “Let me be the judge of who is good for me, okay.”  She said trying to convince him.  “I know there is good in you, I’ve seen it, you just need to believe it.”  He frowned slightly.  “What is that look for?”  She asked him gently.  He shook his head slightly.

            “Nothing, it’s just that someone else said something like that to me once before.”  She smiled at him.

            “Then you should listen once in a while.”  He looked down at her with an unreadable look in his eyes.   She could feel what he was feeling at that moment and with it her own strong feelings as well.  Her own breathing caught for a moment and it was as if she couldn’t catch her breath.  He noticed this and asked her once again

            “What is it?”  She wasn’t sure how to answer him but she owed him some kind of an explanation.

            “Sometimes when I touch someone or when they touch me something happens.  I don’t know how to describe it it’s just something I have always lived with.”

            “You told me that one before. What does that mean?”  She cast her eyes down slightly but his thumb found her chin and he gently forced her to look at him.  “Please Kitten, tell me.”  He said softly.

            “I feel what they feel.”  His eyes darkened slightly as she continued.   “Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between my own and theirs.  Sometimes it’s a much stronger connection.  It’s hard to decifer at times.”

            “And what do you feel when I touch you?”  She looked up into his dangerously blue eyes.  Eyes that pinned her in place.  She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.  “What does Sophie feel when I touch her like this?”  He ran his fingers ever so lightly down her spin causing her to gasp slightly. “Or this?”  he added as he kissed the side of her neck as he lowered her to her back and hovered above her. “Or this?”  He added softly as his hands wandered to her waist pushing the sides of her shirt up as his lips found hers.  Giving her a deep passionate kiss causing her emotions to go into over drive.  She arched her back slightly and his hand came to rest in the middle pulling her even closer.  She suddenly found her own hands needing to wander, to feel.  His chest, his back, everything, she wanted to feel it all.  He pulled away from her long enough to pull his own shirt up and over his head disposing of it on the floor.  She started to do the same, shaking in anticipation but he stopped her hands.  “Let me.”  He said gruffly as he returned to kissing her neck and slowly trailing his hands up her side skimming her skin taking her shirt as he went.  He went to lift it slowly over her head when finally…there was a sharp knock on the door.  Both froze for a second holding their breath when the knock sounded a second time.

            “Shit.” Snart said at the same time as she said

            “You have got to be kidding me!”  He gave her a frustrated look before getting off the bed reaching for his shirt as she tugged her own back into place. Giving her one last look he opened the door to Abby standing there with a cartoon full of coffee cups and a bright smile on her face.

            “Good morning.”  She said brightly ignoring the stormy look Snart had on his face and entered the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Aaaand…nope, not yet 


	9. Party Dresses and Distractions

Chapter Nine

Party Dresses and Distractions

            “I can’t wear that!”  Sophie said flatly as the dress Abby held up before her.  Abby looked down at it and then back up.

            “Why not?”

            “It’s too…tiny.  I’m waiting for you to show me the rest of it.”  She added when she couldn’t think of another way to describe it.  It was a black off the shoulder dress.  The fabric had a lacy feel to it and once on she was sure it would be way too short.  Sophie didn’t wear dresses so anything remotely resembling one made her uncomfortable.

            “No, it’s pretty and you will look great in it.”

            “No, it will look like I’m advertising.”

            “It will not!  Now stop being a baby and go and try it on.”  Abby tossed her the dress which she caught before it hit her in the face.  She sighed as she stomped into the bathroom.  She was still feeling frustrated about the interruption and with Leonard.  Once Abby arrived he practically ran from the room, not once looking back at her.  He was one of the most frustrating people she knew.  He ran both hot and cold all at the same time.  She knew he wanted her and boy oh boy she wanted him but as of right now it couldn’t happen.  They had a job to do, a fact she had to keep reminding herself of. She sighed again and looked back down at the offending dress.  Abby had brought several for her to try on so that they could get into the gala.  She pulled it over her head squeezing herself into it and pulling it down.  She turned and looked at herself in the mirror.  Okay it wasn’t _that bad_ but it certainly wasn’t something she was used to.  It came to her knees and had quarter sleeves.  The front was detailed in a delicate lace with a high front but the back was open.

            “How does it look?”  Abby called out to her.  She was enjoying her friends discomfort entirely too much.

            “Not sure.”  She tried pulling it down to cover more of her bare legs.  It was just short enough that it made her uncomfortable.

            “Oh, come and let me see.  I have the perfect heels for that dress.”  Sophie popped her head out of the bathroom.

            “Heels?!”  She questioned. “I can’t wear heels! No one said anything about heels!”  She sounded slightly panicked.

            “Sure, you can.  It’s easy.”  Abby had a big smile on her face.

            “But I’ll fall flat on my face.”  She was now fully standing outside of the bathroom.

            “Well we do need a distraction.”  She said eyeing the dress on her.  “See, pretty.”

            “Not funny and I need more coverage.  This isn’t going to work.”  She threw her hands up in the air and walked a little toward Abby.

            “It is going to work and you look fantastic.”

            “You don’t think it’s too short?  I feel like I need to keep pulling it down.”  She said as she tugged at the hem again.  Abby suddenly had a strange look on her face and then broke out into an even bigger smile.

            “Why don’t you ask him?”  She knew before turning around who exactly she was talking about but still turned around quickly to face Snart who had quietly snuck into his door and now stood at the adjoining door holding a bag of food.  His eyes roving up and down her body in a way that left her breathless and she felt herself flush all over.  He didn’t speak just stared but his eyes said everything.  She tried to look away but when his eyes met hers she froze in place.  She had heard the expression being undressed by someone’s eyes but never really understood it until now and it left her with emotions she couldn’t put a name to.  Abby cleared her throat and Leonard was the first to break eye contact.  She felt weak in the knees and was grateful she wasn’t wearing heels just because she would have fallen over.  He looked at Abby with an unreadable look on his face.

            “She can’t wear that.”  He stated.

            “Why not?”  Abby asked with a hint of mischievous and an amused look on her face.

            “Because she will never leave this room with it on.”  Abby let out a surprised chuckle and Sophie who had recovered from her shock shook her very red face and mumble

            “For crying out loud.” As she slipped into the bathroom once again and closed the door leaning back against it trying to catch her breath.

            Leonard however had not been able to breath since he had walked into the room and saw her standing there with her bare back exposed leaving far too much to the imagination.  He shook his head and thrust the bag of food back at Abby not being able to tear his eyes away from the bathroom door to where she had just disappeared.

            “Make sure she eats.  She doesn’t eat.” Abby took the bag from his out stretched hand and chuckled to herself as his hand hung there midair for a few more seconds as he continued to watch the door before he realized she had taken the bag.  He lowered his hand walking back through his door giving one last lungful look at the door before disappearing.

            “Okay.”  Abby said to herself. “I’m guessing that was too much of a distraction.  She picked up another dress still laughing about the whole exchange.  Sophie was always one who tried to control every situation.  It was fun seeing her off kilter.  She knocked on the door lightly.

            “You okay in there?”

            “Fan-fricken-tastic.” Sophie added through the door sarcastically.

            “Well I have another one for you to try.”  She waited for no reply. “I promise this one is safer.”  The door opened a crack and an arm stuck out.  Abby handed her the dress and it disappeared through the crack.  Abby still stood by the door listening as she changed.

            “So…you want to talk about what just happe…?”

            “Nope!”  Was the very short reply which in turn caused Abby to laugh yet again.

            “I interrupted something this morning, didn’t I?”

            “You are enjoying this way too much.”

            “Yeah well I need to have fun somehow.”

            “Your timing sucks!”

            “Tell me about it.”

            “What about your love life?”  Abby snorted.

            “What love life?”

            “Oh, come on you are your vigilante seem awful cozy.”

            “That is not even worth mentioning.”  Abby added with a hint of sadness in her tone.

            “Oh, I doubt that.  Besides it’s more fun when it’s about you.”  Abby sighed and pushed away from the door.

            “All right brat, I’m coming in.  How does it look?”  Abby walked in and looked at her friend’s reflection in the mirror.  “Oh, I was wrong before.  This is the right one.”

            “Are you sure?” She asked as she took in her own reflection.

            “Absolutely.”  The dress was a light ice blue which hung to the floor in a light flowy look.  The front was decorated in a fragile lace with a high collar and short sleeves.  The back on this one was bare as well but it left her features softer.  Abby came up behind Sophie. “I think it’s safe to say that we need to keep Snart away from you until this is done.”

            “Abigail!”  Sophie gasped and Abby chuckled in response.

            “All right, now how about that hair.”  They spent the next few hours going over the details of the “distraction.”  Abby had even gotten Sophie into a pair of heels.

            “So, I have a friend meeting me there but I don’t want you to make a big deal over this.”  Abby said as they worked on Sophie’s many frizzy curls.  They had decided the best fit for the dress was to leave the curls cascading down her back and topped it off with a diamond studded bohemian styled head band.  Sophie raised her eyebrow slightly.

            “And why would I do that?”  She asked suddenly suspicious. “Does he know about all of this?”

            “He just knows I’m here to help a friend.”

            “Then why so worried?”

            “Well, it’s a bit complicated and I don’t want you to freak out.  He is meeting me there.” Abby was keeping something from her so she kept digging.

            “Abby what aren’t you telling me?” 

            “There is something more.” 

            “What?”  She asked as suspicion crept into her voice once again.

            “The gala we need to get into is sponsored by Bruce Wayne.”   Sophie felt her stomach drop at the mention of her former friend’s name.

            “Well that’s just perfect.”  She mumbled and looked back down at her dress.  “This is a bad idea.  It’s not going to work.”

            “It will.  Just relax.”

            “We’ll see.”  She couldn’t bring herself to do it and now knowing that Wayne was going to be there put her in a very sour mood.

            “So, what really happened between you and him?”  Abby asked catching on to her mood change.

            “It’s a long story.”  She didn’t like getting into it.

            “Come on Sophie, talk to me.”  Sophie took a deep breath.

            “There really isn’t much to tell.  He said he would be there for something and he never showed.

            “It must have been important.”

            “It was at the time but not enough for him.”  Abby gave her friend a hug.

            “Well you don’t need him and by this time tomorrow we will be out of this place.”

            “Here’s hoping.”  Sophie agreed.  “We only have half an hour before we need to be there.”  She changed the subject and turned her attention back to the mirror in front of her.  She tried to calm her nerves as they crept up leaving her breathless.

            “You’re going to be fine. You’re going to be fine.”  She said out loud to herself a few times earning her a chuckle from her friend who had just finished strapping on her own shoes.

            “Yes, you are and we are ready.”

            “If you say so.”  Sophie added as she still fidgeted.  Abby handed her something.  She held it up with a questionable look. “What is this?”

            “It’s an ear bud.  That way we can hear you and you can hear us.”   She helped her put it in.

            “We?”  She questioned.

            “Yeah, The Arrow, Snart and myself.”  She placed her own finger to her ear.  “You boys hear me?”

            “Perfectly. Now let’s get this moving.”  The first voice growled in Sophie’s ear causing her to jump slightly.  Abby gave her an apologetic look.

            “it takes a while to get used to.”

            “How is my girl?”  Snart’s voice filtered in her ear.   “Nervous, but she’s good.”  Abby responded.

            “I’m fine!”  She practically shouted and she heard a collective sigh.  She rolled her eyes at their reaction. “Oh, let’s just get this over with.”  She said trying to calm her over active nerves.

            Thirty minutes later, several self-pep talks and everyone telling her to breath they finally arrived.  The radios had gone silent but it was a slight comfort to Sophie that Snart was still within hearing distance, even though he would be sending the night stealing a file from a computer drive elsewhere in the building.  Abby and her job was to create a distraction so that he could get a clean get away.  The Arrow was to serve as look out.

            The two girls entered the ballroom and instantly Sophie was in awe of what was before her.  She had never rubbed elbows with the rich and famous before and it was a bit overwhelming.  She didn’t know where to look first.  Her attention was quickly diverted when Abby spoke.

            “Okay, like I said, don’t make a big deal.  He is just a friend.”  Sophie drew her attention to a rather good looking man as he approached them.

            “Abby is that…”

            “Yes.”  She answered quickly before Sophie could finish, which caused Sophie to smile in return.  She suddenly had the urge to jab at her friend.

            “Really how?  And how did you too meet?”  It was nice to see someone else besides her become uncomfortable.

            “We just did, now don’t make a fuse.  Hi Oliver.”  Abby said all of this in one breath and a forced smile.  Sophie hid her grin.

            “Abby, it’s good to see you.”  He said kissing her on the cheek which caused her to blush.  He then turned his attention to Sophie who offered her his hand as she looked at her friend with a slightly raised eyebrow.

            “You must be Sophie, Abby talks about you a lot.”

            “Funny, she hasn’t mentioned you but then again she does hold things quite close to the vest.”  Oliver just laughed slightly.

            “Yes, she does, but it is good to finally meet you.”

            “Same here Mr. Queen.”

            “Please call me Oliver.”

            “Alright Oliver, it is very nice to meet you.”  One couldn’t help but smile at the guy.  He really was rather good looking.

            “Making friends again I see.”  A voice growled in her ear making her jump slightly which earned her another apologetic look from Abby and a blank look from Oliver.  She gritted a smile ignoring the jealous voice quite literally in her ear.  The last thing she needed was to talk back to him and make herself look crazy.

            “So how long have you and Abby known each other?”  She asked trying to ease the tension.

            “Well, we meant several years ago on a plan from London.”  Sophie noticed the way his eyes softened ever so slightly as he looked at her.  His eyes that seemed so familiar.  She also noticed the blush that brushed Abby’s features and she turned to look at her friend again.

            “I didn’t know you were in London.”  She smiled slyly at her friend.

            “Well…yeah, once.”  She couldn’t meet her friends stare.

            “Huh, that’s interesting.”

            “All right all ready. Enough of the small talk.  It’s getting old.”  The voice in her ear responded. But before she could say or do anything Oliver gently lay a hand on Abby’s back and Sophie’s arm.  It was at that moment that she finally understood and everything made sense.

            “If you ladies will excuse me for a moment.”  He looked at Abby.  “I’ll be right back.”  Then he was gone and Sophie watched her friend Watch Oliver as he walked away.  Abby finally looked back at Abby,

            “What?”  She asked trying to sound innocent.

            “I totally get it now.”  Abby narrowed her eyes slightly as she spoke to Sophie.

            “No, you don’t.” 

            “Yes, I do.”  She added with a smile.

            “Ladies, lets focus please.”  Snart sniped over the ear piece.

            “Someone is testy.” Piped Abby as she crossed her arms across her chest.

            “Someone is jealous.”  Sophie responded.

            “I told you before, I don’t get jealous.”  Leonard spoke again.

            “Let’s focus people.”    The Arrow had finally joined the conversation.

            Well, that was quick.”  Sophie mumbled to herself.

            “What?”  Abby asked her.

            “Nothing…how far are we into this?”  She asked Snart through the ear piece.

            “About thirty minutes.”

            “Good because now I have to pee.”

            “Don’t you always?”  Snart bit back.

            “Hey, give me a break.  I have a nervous bladder. Abby come with me.”

            “Why?”

            “Because you have to go too.”

            “Do women always travel in pairs?”  Leonard sniped in the ear piece.”

            “In my experience, yes.” The Arrow answered back.

            “Well now don’t they make quite the comedy duo.”  Sophie said sarcastically as they entered the rest room, Sophie looked around and found that they were alone and quickly locked the door turning toward a confused Abby.  “I don’t need you in my head as I pee so I am taking you out.”  She said matter of factly as she went to remove the ear piece.

            “Kitten…”  The voice on the other end started to say but she didn’t hear the rest.  Taking the hint Abby removed hers too.

            “We need to talk alone and we don’t need ease droppers.”  Sophie said to her. 

            “Okay, now spill it.  What has you so in need of a secret bathroom conversation.?”  Abby asked her with her arms crossed.

            “Your friend Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow.”  Sophie simply stated gaging Abby’s reaction who looked at her closed lipped.  “I mean it make so much more sense now that I think about it.”

            “Sophie…”  Abby started to warn but was interrupted.

            “Don’t worry, you of all people know I can keep a secret.  I just find it funny that you can give me a hard time about Snart but here you are hanging out with a millionaire vigilante with a leather fetish.  I mean it’s perfect.”

            “it’s complicated.” Abby said looking at her shoes.

            “Isn’t everything?”  Sophie questioned.  “Have you seen my life lately?  The man who has kidnapped me on more than one occasion now has me helping him find his missing sister who was taken by my crazy ass uncle out for revenge on me.  Add to that every time he touches me or I touch anyone I see and feel what they are feeling.”  Now it was Sophie’s turn to look at her shoes.  After a few seconds of silence, it was Abby’s turn to speak.

            “So that’s how you do it.”  Abby said softly as Sophie finally looked up at her.  “All these years of you knowing things you shouldn’t.  It’s because you’re an empath, right?”  Sophie looked up at her in surprise.  “I figured it was something like that.  How long have you had this ability?” 

            “Since I can remember.”  Sophie added as she shrugged her shoulders. 

            “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”  She asked softly.

            “I wasn’t sure anyone would believe me. I mean how would you explain that after every time someone touched you, you felt what they felt?”

            “So, when Silas did what he did to you…”

            “I felt all of it.”  Sophie felt tears threatening to well up in her eyes.  Abby noticed and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

            “I get where you are coming from.  I just wished you had told me.”  Sophie looked at her.

            “I know, I’m sorry.”  She wiped at her tears and Abby helped her dry them.

            “Well this certainly explains why you seem to be over emotional at times.  Feeling all those feelings at once can’t be easy.  Kind of like remembering everything at once.”  She smiled sadly referring to her own ability.

            “Yeah, I guess it is.”  She looked down at the ear piece she still held in her hand.  “Well, we shouldn’t keep these guys waiting much longer.”  Abby gave her another encouraging smile and nodded in agreement and they both placed their ear pieces back in.

            “Okay boys, we are back online.  What is our ETA?”  Abby asked.

            “About ten minutes.”  The Arrow/Oliver answered. “Everything okay?”

            “Yes, we’re fine.”

            “Kitten?”  Snart asked his voice sounding tense.

            “yes, I’m fine.  I just need to get this over with.”  Sophie answered.

            “Don’t do that again.”  He sounded worried but trying to hide it as well.

            “Okay.”  She said and then turned to Abby.  “You ready for this?”

            “Are you?”  Both girls took a deep breath and went to leave the bathroom.

            “Please be careful.”  Sophie whispered out loud meaning for everyone involved but the one who mattered the most answered back.

            “You too Kitten.”

            Once they left the confines of the room they both went their separate ways.  Abby making her way to the back of the room getting ready to start her end of the _distraction._ Sophie was to position herself at the front of the room.  Her job was to pull the fire alarm just at the right time.  She was so focused on what she was doing that when an arm grabbed her around the waist pulling her close she yelled slightly in surprise.

            “Hello there, Little Red. It’s been a long time.”  She looked up into a familiar pair of eyes and felt herself grow warm with anger.  She pulled herself away with a jerk.

            “What do you want?”  Her voice thick with sarcasm.

            “What’s going on?”  Snart asked over the ear piece.  “Sophie, are you okay?”

            “She will be okay but he may not.”  Abby responded. “Sophie, just walk away and we can deal with him later.  Hell, I’ll even hold him down for you but this needs to be done now.”

            “I’m just saying hi to an old friend Sophie.”  The man before her said as she tried to move past him.

            “We are not friends Wayne!  And I have nothing left to say to you so please just let me go.”

            “We were once, friends I mean and I know I hurt you but please let me make it up to you.”  He stopped her once again with his hand on her arm.  She got a jolt and looked up at the man who suddenly had a very serious look on his face.

            “Bruce?! What did you do?”  She asked quietly.  He looked down at her pleadingly.

            “Please, just come with me before it’s too late.  Just trust me this one time.”

            “Not until you tell me what is wrong.”  She dug in her heels as he grabbed at her arm again.

            “Sophie, get out of there now!”  Snart’s voice shouted into the ear piece.

            “Sophie, I can’t stop anything.  You need to pull that alarm!”  Abby shouted at her.  Wayne just gave her a look and reached to pull the alarm just as a huge explosion echoed throughout and the floor beneath her shook before her collapsed.


	10. Kidnapped

**Chapter Ten**

**Kidnapped**

The first thing she noticed was the ringing in her ears and the dust so thick she couldn’t see.  The second thing she noticed was the nightmare that stood before her in the form of her uncle Silas.  A twisted smile on his equally twisted face.  She couldn’t hear what he was saying but she could guess.  She tried to crawl away scraping and cutting her hands and knees on the debris only to be jerked back and up by her hair.  Her hearing was beginning to return because she heard him speak.

            “Not this time Pet.  Time for you to come home.”  She opened her mouth and let out a scream then was meant with darkness.

            When she woke again she was in a dark room, much like the one she remembered from her childhood.  Her head started pounding and panic started to set in as she fought to breath.  It terrified her, the darkness, no light.  She tried to move but found that even though she wasn’t tied up a chain encircled her ankle and the other end hooked into the wall or so she assumed.  She had discovered that her clothes had been changed too.  No longer did she wear the pretty blue dress; in its place was a baggy pair of pants and a large hoody which much to her surprise actually smelled clean.  She felt her way along the floor trying to get some kind of bearing. She found that the door was only a few feet ahead of her and the room, just as she feared was indeed very tiny. She took several deep breaths to control her panic and squeezed her eyes tight.  She would not allow herself to cry.  Instead she needed to concentrate on how to get out.   She knew from past experiences that her uncle would leave her until he felt that she had learned her lesson or submitted to his way of thinking.  She rarely did, at least in her mind.  On those rare occasions when she fought back she ended up paying for it.  This time however felt different.  This time he felt as if he had finally won, that he had broken her.  He was going to be sadly disappointed for this time she had something worth fighting for, someone worth fighting for.  She knew he would be used against her but she wouldn’t let him get inside her head.  Leo, her Leo would be safe from this monster that held her in this cage or she would die trying.  Her worry, however was that he would do the same for both her and his sister.  His sister?!  She suddenly remembered the whole reason for coming to Gotham in the first place.  Lisa still had to be here, at least that was her hope.  Knowing her uncle, he would want to keep all of his pieces in one spot before making his big move.  She really wasn’t all that surprised that he had ended up being a mob boss but what did surprise her was the fact that he had been watching and waiting for her all of these years.  She had thought that she was a problem he was glad to be rid of.  Instead she ended up being something he wanted to possess and control.

            She couldn’t judge how long she had been in there as she got to her feet and very carefully paced the room counting her steps.  She stopped at the door and put her ear to it hoping to hear something.  She ran her hand along the wall looking for an imperfection of any kind, the chain rattling slightly as she moved.  She was just about ready to make another sweep when she first heard it.  It was faint but it echoed ever so slightly.  She felt along the room quietly listening when she heard it again.  A chain much like hers could be heard.  She almost wept in relief to know that she wasn’t the only one surviving this personal hell.  She pressed her ear to the wall and held her breath.  She heard shuffling.  Someone was on the other side of the wall.  She was sure of it.

            “Hello?”  She called out, her voice echoing in the darkness.  “Is any one there?  Please tell me I’m not alone here.”  She was almost pleading.  When no answer came she slid to the ground defeated.  Tears threatened to fall and she felt as if her soul had shattered.  A sense of looming darkness left her feeling numb.  She had just about given up any remaining hope when a voice sounded from the other side.

            “You’re not alone.”  It was barely above a whisper but very clear.  She jumped up filled with all sorts of emotions and pressed her hand to the wall as if trying to touch the person on the other side of the wall.

            “Are you okay?  They didn’t hurt you, did they?”  She heard a deep intake of breath.

            “Not physically.” She heard a catch in her voice.

            “What’s your name?”  Sophie asked quietly knowing full well what her uncle was capable of.

            “Lisa.  What’s yours?”  She asked equally as quiet.  Sophie’s ears perked up.

            “Lisa?”  She questioned.  “Lisa Snart?  I’m a friend of your brothers.  He sent me to find you. Not that it did any good.”

            “Lenny doesn’t have friends.”  She said suddenly sounding suspicious.  Sophie didn’t blame her.

            “We were friends when we were kids and then things…happened.  He’s worried about you though.”

            “So, you’re Sophie.”  It was a statement more than a question.  “He finally found his penny.”  Sophie laughed slightly.

            “Yeah after kidnapping me about three times.  He apparently didn’t know how to talk to me.”  She heard a slight chuckle in response.

            “That sounds like Lenny.  Is he okay?”  She sounded hopeful.

            “Yes.  At least he was before I was taken.  We were in the process of getting what they wanted for your release when they took me.”

            “You know he told me about you.  He talks about you all the time.  He once told me that you were one of the good things that happened in his life.  I always thought that he might even be a little bit in love with you.”  That statement alone made her warm and very hopeful.  She didn’t know how to respond but before she could Lisa spoke again.  “You’re in love with him aren’t you?”

            “I…”  she started to say.

            “Don’t worry.  You don’t have to tell me.  I can tell.  He needs you I think.”

            “I’m just so afraid, so afraid of everything.”  There was silence for a fleeting time.

            “Everyone is afraid of something.”  Lisa responded.  “Even my brother.”

            “He doesn’t seem like he is afraid of much of anything.”

            “He’s afraid of not being able to protect his family.”  It was a rather alarming statement but seemed to ring very true.

            “That much is evident by what he has done to find you.  He really is quite over protective, isn’t he?”

            “With you too.”  This peaked her interest.

            “What do you mean?”

            “He has been looking for you for years.  He has tried to deny it of course but there were times when I’ve caught him looking out into the crowd as if looking for someone.  When I asked at first, he wouldn’t answer, but then about three months ago he saw you leaving Jitters.  His whole face just changed.  I thought he was going to run out into the street after you but he was on the Flash’s radar at that point.  I actually had to stop him.  That was when he finally told me about you.  He changed after that.”   Sophie didn’t know what to say.  She felt the silent tears run down her face and she took a deep breath.

            “I was told he had died when we were kids.  I didn’t want to believe it, couldn’t believe it at first.  Then I was sent here and a place like this has a way of sucking the hope from you.  I never should have given up.”

            “He never did.”  This nearly tore Sophie apart and a small sob escaped before she could catch it.  Lisa must have heard it and she could be heard shifting slightly.  “I didn’t mean to upset you.  You were just a child, so was he and if you were told he was dead you would have no reason to believe anything else.”

            “I just need to end this.  All of this.  Neither one of you would be in this situation if it wasn’t for me.”

            “One thing you need to learn about my brother and me, is that we don’t get involved in situations unless we want to.  Leonard could have walked away.  He could have found a different way to get me back but he didn’t.  He chose to seek you out.”  Sophie rested her cheek against the cold wall closing her eyes.  She knew he would come for her, he would come for Lisa.  She just needed to hold on until then.  She just hoped he would find them in time.  She knew what was coming next.  It would start with leaving her to stew and wonder.  After several hours, days even then he would come.  This would be followed by his taunting and when she wouldn’t conform a beating would come next.  This would continue until he grew tired of the game.  The problem this time was the fact that he had years of pent up anger and hatred toward her.  Either way it wouldn’t be pleasant.

            A few hours had pass and after a few failed attempts of getting the chains off and talking back and forth with Lisa she fell into a restless sleep.  Half sitting up she had squeezed herself in the corner furthest from the door.  She knew it was only a matter of time before her uncle would come and he did.  It started with the echo of footsteps leading to her door.  The closer they came the louder it became.  She heard the keys rattle in the door and the door squeak open.  She knew it was him.  His hatred rolled off from him in waves and it took everything in her not to react.  She didn’t want him to see her react.  Instead she stared at the ground; her head bent not meeting his gaze that she could feel burning in her.  She saw his feet come into view as he stepped closer.  She not only felt his hatred but his anger as well.  Something had him very very angry.  This would not end well for her and she braced herself for the blow she knew was coming. The thought hadn’t even finished yet when her head was suddenly bounced off the wall.  A loud crack and blinding pain followed.  She cried out and she felt blood start to trickle down her head a deep throbbing followed.

“You will look at me!”  He demanded as he grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet.  She gasped as the dizziness hit her and she planted her feet so that she wouldn’t fall into him.  She glared up at him trying to muster up the same amount of hatred as he was projecting.  He laughed slight at her spark of defiance.

            “Did you really think I wouldn’t come for you again?  Did you really believe that you could ever escape me?”  He yanked her even further until they were almost nose to nose and she was almost on her tip toes. “Your insolence has cost me a great deal of trouble, trouble that I am going to make you pay for.”  He went to continue when a voice behind him spoke.

            “Sir, they are waiting for you.”  He continued to stare at her before he answered.

            “Tell them to wait.”

            “They say it’s urgent, Sir.”  The statement sounded fearful but instead of an angry outburst, he sighed and pushed her into the wall. He smiled in satisfaction as she grimaced and fell to the floor.

            “Don’t think for a second that we are done here pet.  I will be back and we will finish this conversation.”  He turned to walk out only to retrieve something from outside her door.  He through it at her only to have it fall at her feet.  She recognized it immediately and felt herself grow cold.  “Before you get any ideas about your _friend_ , he won’t be coming for you.  With that he slammed the door tight leaving her once again in darkness.  She looked down at the item in her hands and pulled it into her lap.  Squeezing her eyes shut she prayed that her uncle wasn’t right because she held in her hands Leonard’s signature blue parka.  She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream but she needed to have a clear head.  In her heart she knew he was okay and that he was still coming for her.  She couldn’t even comprehend the alternative.  She also remembered the last time she saw him he wasn’t even wearing the jacket.  She felt her hope rise and decided to wrap herself in it taking in a deep breath.  His scent still lingered there and gave her a comfort.  It calmed her, helped her focus.  Her uncle was trying to bait her, to shake her up.  It was part of his mind game.  What he didn’t know or expect was that she had planned one step ahead.  She opened her hand to revel the key to her salvation looking up at her.  Leonard Snart wasn’t the only pick pocket.  She smiled at the thought of once again getting out of her uncles grasp.  She didn’t speak to Lisa; she didn’t want the chance of being overheard just yet.  She waited a few minutes before she made her way to the door, putting her ear to it.  She heard nothing on the other side.  She then went to work unlocking her chains and was able to release herself.  She suddenly felt lighter.  Next she had to figure out a way to get out the door that was locked from the outside.  She patted it down trying to find a way to open it.  She didn’t but she would be damned if she had come this far and give up.  Not yet at least.  She laid her head against the door in slight defeat when she heard a slight shift on the other side.  She perked up and then to her amazement the door suddenly popped open.  She stood back suddenly afraid of who was on the other side but there was no one.  She eased her head around the door frame to find an empty dark hallway on either side of her.  All was quiet so she eased out of her cell and made her way to the door that was next to hers.  The key that she had didn’t work but she couldn’t give up on the person on the other side.  She started to search the pockets of the coat she was wearing, the coat of a master thief who had a hidden pocket that yes supplied a lock picking kit.  She smiled to herself and at the fact that he really was as good as he said he was.  She held the kit in her hand hoping she was as good at using it as she thought she was.  She knelt on one need and went to work.  Within seconds she had it unlocked and was able to push the door open.  She heard scrambling and the rustling of chains as Lisa made her way to the back of the room.

            “Lisa, it’s me.”  She called out as she entered the room.

            “How did you get out?”  She asked a slight trace of suspicion in her voice.

            “My uncle paid me a visit.  I palmed his key.”  She opened her hand showing it to her and went to unlock her chains as well.  Lisa looked at her with an unreadable look much like her brothers.

            “Is that Lenny’s coat?”  Sophie looked down and realized how this must look to his sister and she shook her head.

            “This is my uncle’s attempt of getting inside my head.  He has always believed he is the smartest one in the room, even when it’s clear that he is not.  But I suggest that we leave before he figures it out I’, the one who took his key.”  The two girls looked at one another for a full thirty seconds before Lisa seemed to make up her mind.

            “Okay, I don’t want to wait around.”  They both made their way to the door and looked both ways until they fled down the darkened hallway.  They came to the end of the corridor and made a left not really knowing where it would lead them and hoping it wasn’t straight into the lion’s den.  They went to turn another corner when suddenly Sophie came to a halt and Lisa slammed into her.  Standing in front of her was something Sophie had only believed was nothing more than a fairy tale meant to scare children.

            He was a tall man, shrouded in a billowing cape of sorts but the thing that caused her the most worry was the mask he wore.  It hid his features, all but his eyes which seemed to sparkle, a bright green, almost an emerald green.  The mask he wore was no ordinary one.  It was detailed and looked cold to the touch.  She was looking into the face of an owl.  That familiar nursery rhyme started to come back to haunt her.

_Beware the court of owls that watch all the time…_

            She was vaguely aware of Lisa pulling on her arm because she was so transfixed on what was before her.  He stared at her with the same intensity as she was him.  And then he spoke.  His voice was low and raspy.

            “I am not here for you young one.  Do not fear.”

            “You’re the Talon, aren’t you?” She questioned in a loud whisper.  She received only a slight nod as a response.

            “What are you?”  Lisa asked in a nervous voice.

            “An ally, for now. I am here for the one named Silas Monroe.  He has caused far more problems than need be.  Now he needs to be dealt with.  You will find your escape at the end of this corridor.  Go now for I will not be able to help you again.”  He turned to walk away.

            “You unlocked my door.  Why?”  Sophie called out to him.

            “This is not your fight and I owed a debt.  Your friends will be here soon.  Go before I regret helping you.”  Within seconds he was gone as quickly as a whisper on the wind.  Lisa turned to her.

            “What in the hell was that?”  Sophie just shook her head.

            “A nightmare from a fairy tale.”  She swallowed sharply and started down the hallway once more.  “Come on.  I don’t want to be here anymore than I have to be.”  They finally reached a set of doors to the outside and pulled them open. It was raining again, hard and it was dark.  She grabbed Lisa’s hand as they struggled through the blinding weather.  Squinting she tried to get her barring and was able to finally find the light from a pole light not that far off.  She moved toward it with Lisa following. 

            “We need to get out of this.” Lisa shouted above the howl of the wind. 

            “I know but we are not going back in there.”  She shouted back as she looked around.  “This way!”  She said as she found a roadway of sorts and started to follow it.  It wasn’t long before they came to a halt.  In front of them was the edge of a cliff that dropped down into the ocean, the water rolling below them.  She looked out beyond to discover she was looking at the city across the bay.

            “Damn it!”  She said above the wind.

            “Is that…?”  Lisa started to ask.

            “Gotham.”  Sophie finished. “He brought us to the damn island.”

            “How did we get back over there?”

            “I have an idea, but first we need to get to the pier.”

            “You mean the one where all those men are gathering and looking like they are ready for war?”  Lisa asked as she pointed in the direction.

            “That would be it.”

 


	11. Joining Forces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. So here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy! I think another 2 maybe 3 chapters left. Yes it's mostly written out I just need to find the time to type it. :) So this chapter takes place at the same time as the previous one. I just needed to get the two different perspectives out there and no worries they are on their way to reunite. :) Thanks for reading, reviews are always welcome and until next time...

**Chapter Eleven**

**Joining Forces**

            It was no secret that Leonard Snart did not play well with others.  That certainly wasn't going to change now. Not when so much was on the line. He had lost her again but this time he would fight to get her back, whatever the cost. This time he would do it his way with or without help.

               After the explosion rocked the building he pocketed the item that they needed and ran straight into the belly of the beast so to speak.  He made it all the way to the ballroom to discover smoke, rubble and chaos.  He scanned the room in hopes of finding her. Calling out her name but that too was lost in the air.  He started to run toward the rubble, his heart pounding but was stopped short by what he saw. She was being pulled from the rubble.  He called her name again.  The man who had pulled her out, now carrying her lifeless body, turned to look at him.  His blood suddenly ran cold at the familiar face as he smiled a wicked smile before turning and carrying her off.  An anger and fury unlike anything he had felt before took over his last bit of self-control.  He cursed himself for letting himself believe that he might ever have a chance of protecting her from her childhood monster.  Instead he had delivered her into his waiting hands.  He pulled out us cold gun but was stopped by a hand that was suddenly on his arm.  He pulled away to look down at a very disheveled Abby.  A look of terror was in her eyes.

               "Not like this."  He pulled away from her shaking hand.

               "There is no way in hell I am letting him get her, not like this."  He went to after her again when Abby's words stopped him once again.

               "You can't go after him alone."  He stopped for a minute and then continued after her.  He wasn't about to let anyone stop him.  He emerged into the crowd that had gathered outside and looked through the people pushing some out of the way. He couldn't find her, didn't see her so he looked up.  He needed a higher vantage point.  He headed to the back of the building that was across the street and quickly climbed the fire escape.  Once on the roof he peered over the side to the crowd below.  Quickly he scanned over it and at the edge of terror building beyond the emergency vehicles he finally saw her.  She was being thrown into the back of a van.  He turned to run after it when he was once again stopped.  This time the one in his way was the Arrow who now stood in front of him.  His bow was at his side.  Snart pulled out his cold gun powering it up.  The Arrow reacted as well notching his bow.

               "Get out of my way."  Snart snarled at him.

               "You need to think this through."  The Arrows distorted voice snapped back.

               "They have her; he has her and my sister.  There is nothing to think about!"

                 "You can't do it alone."

                 "Watch me!"  He prepared to fire his weapon again but like before was stopped by a voice to the right of him.

                 "Leonard!  This isn't the way to do this.  We need to come up with a plan."  Abby approached the two men breathless from her climb and partly out of her fear of high places. She stood in her tattered dress, shoes in one hand.

                 "And that works so well the last time."  Snart snapped back.

               "I told you to stay put!'  The Arrow growled at her.

               "When has that ever worked for you?"  She yelled back at him as she approached Snart once again laying a hand on his arm that held the cold gun. “Listen to me; she wouldn’t want you to go running in after her without a plan.  She knows you too well for that and she would never want you to do something that would get you killed.  She would never forgive herself.  God knows that girl carries enough guilt as it is.”

               “I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if anything happened to her.”  He answered honestly, probably the most honest he had ever been.  “He took my family and if you think for one minute…”

               “She is _my_ family too and if you don’t think that I’m going to do anything and everything in my power to bring her back then we are done here.  But if you do believe that and be the man she believes that you are and work together with us to get them both back.”  Snart seemed to consider this for a moment and then he responded reluctantly.

               “What do you suggest?”

               “Well first I suggest not shooting one of the few people that can help.”  She watched him until he finally lowered the cold gun and the Arrow relaxed his stance, as well as he could anyway.  “You’re not the only one who loves her.”  She said softly as she squeezed his arm before letting go and ignoring the shocked look on his face.  She stepped away and faced the two of them. “Now it just so happens I do have a plan and it is going to involve a little bit of trust on everyone’s part.”  Both men seemed to snort and sneer at the thought but she raised her voice slightly. “So can we chuck the egos for one damn minute and figure this out?”  Both looked at her for a silent few seconds before Snart broke the silence.

               “You have your hands full with this one.”  His statement was directed at the Arrow.

               “You have no idea.” Was the gruff response.

               “All right you two! Are we in agreement or do I need to knock your thick heads together?”

               “Well we can’t have that now can we?”  Bit back sarcastically.  He received a look that would make a lesser man shrink back.

               “Fine!”  Was the Arrow’s response although reluctantly.

               “Well it’s going to involve contacting and working with someone who knows this city better than anyone else.”

               “You’re talking about Gotham’s vigilante.”  The Arrow stated and Abby nodded her head to confirm the fact.

               “What makes you think he will help us?”  Snart asked.

               “Well for one he owes me and he owes Sophie even more.  He’ll help.”

               “How do we find him?”  The Arrow asked a trace of suspicion laced his voice.

               “Leave that to me.  In the mean time I suggest we regroup.  Let’s head back to the hotel and figure out our next move.”  Abby added.  Snart reluctantly looked out over the city in the direction the van carrying Sophie had gone.  He turned back toward Abby.

               “Fine!  But things need to be done my way and if for one second I think this little team up of yours doesn’t work then I will go at it alone.” He held one of his gloved fingers up to emphasize the point.  The other two roof occupants looked at him tension clearly visible across their faces but they both nodded in agreement.

 

               A few hours later he stood alone in the hotel room and he didn’t much like it.  He felt antsy, unsettled and fidgety. The room felt too empty.  Too much of her still lingered and he couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness.  He had felt it once before, the first time she was taken from him and like before he watched it happen.  He didn’t like relying on other people and yet here he was waiting for the so called help he was going to receive.  He didn’t trust Abby or her vigilant friends but then again he didn’t trust much of anyone.  Sophie however, did and he had promised that he would try for her.  At this point he would do absolutely anything to get her back.   To get both of them back, his family.  He sat on her bed and laid his hand where she had been just a few hours before.

No one had ever affected him like this before and he wasn't sure he could identify it, what it was, what it meant.  He just knew that he would do anything to get her back and safe.  He had already failed her twice in his life and he would be damned if he was going to let that happen again.    He stood up suddenly needing to get out of the room and actually out there looking.  He had a little while before he needed to meet his "team" near the docks.  He needed to find out what was even on the disk.  He had grabbed Sophie's lap top and went in search of a twenty-four hour cyber cafe.  In truth he could do it from the comfort of the hotel but he couldn't stand being within these walls much longer, these empty walls.   

               He left the room and made his way to the cafe that was only a few streets over and entered their building.  It was small, quiet and surprisingly still full of people.  He found a booth in the back and sat with his back to the wall facing the door. The last thing he needed to have is someone sneak up on I'm especially when he was about to look into who knows what. He quickly booted up tell laptop and found that she had it password protected.  After about thirty seconds he discovered the password with a slight smirk. He had yet found any lock that could keep him out, but leave it to her to have the password _strawberrypoptart_.  He plugged in the flash drive and clicked on the files that popped up. The first file was a record of various transactions with some of Gotham's most influential people.  He was looking at a spread sheet showing the work the mob was doing and with whom.  This was followed by a hit list with various figures next to certain names.  The next file was full of pictures of people, some dead and some still alive. The last file was what made his already cool blood freeze to a, standstill.  It was simply named "pet" and in it were pictures of Sophie during different times in her life taken across years.  It was, also paired with pictures of Abby, himself and Lisa.  He was so deep into what he saw before him that when someone sat down in front of him it actually startled him. He prided himself on not being sick up on and he scolded at the small brunette that sat in front of him. She seemed tired but determined. She just sat there looking at him with a blank look on her face. She just started at him and it made him squirm slightly. Finally he couldn't stand the silence any longer.   

                "What do you want?"  She continued to watch him, to study him.  "I thought you had a _friend_  that was going to help.  She shook her head slightly, sighed and leaned forward. Her hands folded in front of her on the top of the table.   

                "He is going to help. I actually went to the hotel to find you when you didn't answer your phone."  She answered dryly.   

                "I turned it off."   

                "I gathered that.  Look I realize you don't want to just waiting around.  I can tell that even though you are usually a very patient person, you're not with this.  I understand your need to go it alone and I understand you don't let others in. But you need to trust me with this. If nothing else than for her.  I promise you I will do anything and everything within my power to get them back.”

               "I don't even know you." He added his eyes drawn back to the picture that was currently on the screen in front of him.  It was one that was taken the night he had let her go from the car.  He was crouched in front of her and she was looking right at him.  The picture was grainy, unfocused but it was, defiantly the two of them and it bothered him.  He frowned slightly at the thought of being followed.

                "And I don't know you or even trust you.  I mean you are a criminal after all." She added and then he peeked up at her with an unreadable look as she continued. "But she trusts you and that us enough for me.  Besides you can't be all that bad because she fell in love with you and she has even if she hasn't admitted that to herself yet.  She has known evil men, bad men and you are neither."  Leonard didn't know what to say or even process what was just said.  He swallowed past an unexpected lump in his throat.

                "Sorry to disappoint but people like me are not deserving of...love."  He said in a snarky voice using his hand to emphasize the point.  She in turn gave him an angry look.

                "Bull shit!"  He blinked at her in surprise.

                "I'm sorry?  What?" 

               "You heard me. You are so full of it Snart.  So you had a copy childhood. So did I, so did Sophie but that doesn't define who we are and what we become. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and let's do this together."  He frowned at her with a witty remark on his tongue but she beat him to it.  "And before you say it I am fully aware of what a pain in the ass I can be.  So are we going to do this or what?"  She was a determined one, he would give her that.  She reminded him a bit of Sophie so it really shouldn't be a surprise.  He sat back slightly before pulling out the flash drive and shutting down the computer fully aware of Abby watching him intently.

                "So how many of these vigilantes do you know?"  She grimaced slightly before she answered.

                "Two too many."

                 "Is that how you found me?"  She shook her head no.

                 "I took a guess”

                "It was a good guess."

                "Not really.  I just thought that if I had that same disk I would do the same thing you did.  You and I are not so different Leonard.  I lost my brother to this monster.  I will not lose my sister too."  Snart stood up once he had gathered up the lap top and stared down at her with his sign scowl.  She just smiled sweetly at him.

               "Fine! Let's go meet this team of yours."  She blinked up at him slightly surprised at his sudden change of heart.  "And before _you_ say anything I meant what I said.  If this goes sideways I go it alone. At this point I don't have much of a choice." He smirked as surprise lite in her eyes.  "You’re not the only one who can read minds."

               "Huh." Was her added response.  She shrugged her shoulders and also stood shaking her head slightly following him out of the cafe.  Once out on the street he turned to her once more.

               "Where to...Abigail?"  She narrowed her eyes slightly before she gestured to a car that was parked curb side.

                "Don't call me Abigail."

                "What should I call you? Pain in my ass?"  He questioned her as they both got into the vehicle which earned him another glare.

               "Abby, that's my name."  He thought for a minute before shaking his head.

               "Naw...think I'll call you Abigail."

                "Why?"

                "Why what?"  She opened her mouth to respond but then stopped herself and turned to look at him. Suddenly a big smile was on her face.

               "What?" He asked suspiciously.  When she didn't answer he started to feel slightly uncomfortable.  "Stop looking at me like that."  She laughed slightly shook her head and started the car

                "I finally get it."  She answered

               "Get what?"  He demanded to know.

                "The two of you. I finally understand it." 

                "Care to elaborate."

                "No not really."

                "Abigail..."  He started.

                 "Fine, I'll tell you but only if you stop calling me Abigail, agreed?"  She asked as she watched him from the corner of her eye.  "You cause each other to _feel._ ”

               "What the bell does that even mean?"  He demanded.

               "You do know about her ability, right?  How she feels what other feel especially when they touch her."  She glanced at his stone cold face as he tried to keep his reaction in check but his eyes told another story.  He nodded slightly. "Well she has struggled her whole life with what is real and what isn't. But with you it's different."

               “Different how?"  He asked.

               "Different because for the first time it's real for her.  Somehow the two of you even each other out. You're compatible and therefore cause your emotions; you cause each other to feel. Get it?”

                "Interesting theory."  He snipped at her.

                "Oh you can be as cold and sarcastic with m as you want to but you know I'm right. I've seen the way you look at her."  He didn't respond but just stared straight ahead.  Abby sighed slightly before continuing on.  "You know it's okay to have feeling Leonard." He looked at her sharply and opened his mouth to respond.  She stopped to car in front of another warehouse and turned to really look at him.  "I know you love her and she loves I just wish to two of you would give in to it because the two of you need each other."  She noticed him looking down at his hands seemingly unsure.

                "What if I hurt her?  What if I get hurt?"  He asked in a quiet voice.

                "That's bound to happen.  It's part of being human but I am going to tell you this only once. You two are made for each other. You are meant to be and regardless of what happens, has happened or will happen you will make it work."  He finally nodded slightly and went to get out of the car.

                "I'm not saying rather your right or not but I do know that she is worth everything right now.  Even working with your little band of merry men."  He opened the car door and got out.  He could sense her smile as she followed suit. "Don't look so smug; let's just get this over with." He said not looking at her.  He heard her run to catch up with his long strides.

                "Aww Leonard are you warming up to me?" She asked him in a teasing tone.

               "Don't push your luck.  Now where is this friend of yours?"  She led them to the dark warehouse and inside.  The Arrow emerged from the dark to the left of them until they were all standing in the center of terror room.

                "You’re late."  He growled.

               "No, you're early and I had to find the other piece of the puzzle."  She added indicating to Snart who stood fidgeting next to her.

               "So where is this so called help you dragged us here to meet?"  Snart asked ignoring their bickering.

                "Oh he is here, he’s just anti-social.  Isn't that right?"  She spoke out into the darkness.  They heard or saw nothing for a moment.

               "I don't like strangers in my city."  A dark cold vice echoed somewhere in the dark causing both the Arrow and Snart to be on high alert.  Abby put a hand up to calm everyone down.

               "You don't like anyone. Why is now any different?"  Abby snorted.  "Besides you and I both know you have a vested interest in this so cut the carp, play nice and help us."  You could almost hear the sigh of annoyance.

                "You shouldn't be here, she shouldn't be here."  His gravelly voice echoed.

               "Yeah well here we are.  So are you going to help or continue to tell us what a bad idea this is?"  She asked crossing her arms.  "Besides, you owe her."

                "So you keep reminding me."  She could still feel the attention within the two men who stood beside her.

               "So why don't you come out of hiding and do the right thing?"  Off to her left a figure emerged.  He was dressed all in black with an equally black mask that covered most of his face.

                "We may have a bigger issue then we originally thought."  He said flatly.

                "What do you mean?" Leonard asked harshly.

                "Hey boys, meet Gotham's own Dark Knight."  Abby said introducing everyone and watched as everyone physically cringed.  "Well now that, that's out of the way please explain how it can get much bigger."

               "She's on the island with the sister. It's under heavy guard and a storm is moving in.   We will only have a short window to move in."

                "Then what are we waiting for?"  Snart asked impatiently.

                "Someone else is interested in Silas Monroe and they will stop at nothing to get to him.  He has caused too many problems for them.  They want restitution."

               "They?"  The Arrow questioned.  Abby took a step closer to him out of fear.

               "You mean to tell me...?"  The answer was a short nod.

               "What? Who are they?"  Snart questioned sounding alarmed.

                "The Court of Owls."  She stated with a hint of fear in her voice.

                "Well who are they?  What does that mean?"

               "It means we are in a shit load of trouble."  She answered.

                "It's never good when she says that."  Was the Arrows response.

 

  


	12. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N So I have been really struggling on how to finish this and decided instead of one long chapter I separated it into 2 shorter chapters so enjoy. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Let me know what you think.

**Chapter Twelve**

**Rescue**

 

            It was a cold rain and it beat down on the two girls with no mercy.  They quickly made their way toward the peer but with no weapons Sophie felt less than prepared.  Her head still throbbed where it had been bounced off the wall and she was fighting against nausea and dizziness.  She stumbled slightly but was yanked back up by Lisa who pulled her under an out crop of rocks and out of the blinding rain.  She looked at her squinting in the darkness several times to clear her blurry vision.

            “I think you have a concussion.”  Lisa stated.

            “I’m fine!”  Sophie snapped back going to her usual response.

            “No, you’re really not.  We can stop for a minute if you need too.”

            “You sound like your brother.  I don’t want to be here any longer than need be here any longer than need be.”  She pulled Leonard’s barrowed coat around her wet shivering body.  A sudden bout of tiredness over took her and she continued to blink trying to clear her blurry vision.  She suddenly sat down.  All she wanted to do is sleep.  She felt a tug on her arm.

            “No, you can’t go to sleep now.  Come on get up!  Lenny will be coming.”

            “I just need a minute.”  Lisa would have none of it and hauled her to her feet none too gently.

            “No time.  Now get on your damn feet and move.”  She shook herself out of it and stumbled slightly as she stood, but she stood.

            “You’re as bossy as your brother.”  She stated.

            “Who do you think taught me?  Now there is a little shed a little ways up here.  We can go there until we can figure out our next move.  Can you walk?” 

             "I have this far. I just want to get out of here." They stumbled and tripped as they quickly made their way to the small building.  Lisa tried the knob.

              "It’s locked!  Give me a second."  Sophie leaned against the building and tried to squint through the blinding rain along with her already blurry vision.  She shook her head again but still her vision was obscure.  She reached into the cost pocket and retrieved the lock picking kit that she had stashed there earlier.

              "See if this helps."  She handed it to Lisa who smiled up at her from her crouched position in front of the door.

             "I see why my brother likes you. This should take just a second...and done."  The door lock popped and she pushed the door open. Both of the girls piled into the dark room.  It was hard to see at first but within a few minutes Lisa seemed to have found a flashlight and clicked it on. She through the light around the room illuminating the items stored there. It was indeed a very well stocked utility room.

            "It won't take my uncle long to figure out that we are missing if he hasn't already, but I'm hoping the storm will keep him occupied for a bit."  Sophie stated as he slid to the ground with her back against the wall. She caught back her rising nausea.

             "Well I don't think we should wait round to find out.  See if there us anything we can use as a weapon."  Lisa stated as she started to rummage around in some of the tool boxes. Sophie struggled to stand but stopped suddenly.  She felt the hair at the nape of her neck stand up.

            "Someone is coming!  Lisa, quick the light."  The girls hid behind a shelf, turning off the flashlight just as the door slid open.  Sophie squeezed her eyes shut willing her breathing to become normal and then it hit her.  The sense of calm and familiarity took hold of her. Lisa must have figured it out too because she jumped up and ran to the familiar yet soaked figure.

             "Lenny!"

            "Hey sis. You okay?"  Sophie tried to get up but the dizziness stopped her and she fell to the floor once again in a heap.

              "I'm okay but your girlfriend isn’t doing so well."  Both Snart siblings went to her side just as she started to topple over.

             "Hey there kitten. I've got you!"  Leonard said as he caught her before she hit the ground.

              "Leo? You're here?"  She questioned as she looked at him blinking rapidly hoping she wasn't seeing things.

            "Yeah sweetheart, where else would I be?"  He pushed her wet hair from her face and she winced as his hand found the nasty bump on her head.  His hand came away with blood on it. His face held a flicker of anger and remorse.  "What did he do to you kitten?"  He asked as he worked to pick her up.

             "Nothing he hasn't done before.  I can walk you know."  She frowned as she tried to wiggle away from him but he held her tight to him.  It was as if he was afraid she would slip away.

             "No, you can nearly stand on your own.  Now hold still."  Surprisingly she stopped struggling and her head went lax for a second. "Sophie!  Open those eyes come on sweetheart, open those eyes." 

She shot her eyes and looked up at him and frowned.

              "I'm awake.  No need to shout."  He looked at her with a worried look and then back up at his sister. 

             "We need to get her out of here."

            "I agree big brother. How did you find us?"

             "I had help but they are on the other side of the island.  We had a welcoming party wait for us.  The others are keeping them busy.  I made my way here and saw you slip in."

             "You let the Arrow help?! That's so nice!"  Sophie added to the conversation in a very groggy voice.  "I knew the two of you would be friends."  They both looked at her with a slightly startled reaction.  They seemed to believe her to be an invalid.  Snart smirked down at her.

              "I wouldn't say friends but your friend Abby is very insistent."

            "She always has been bossy."  Sophie added and frowned again. "Now can you make the room stop spinning and put me down so that we can get out of here."  The siblings shot each other a knowing look and she spoke again.  "You can stop looking like that. I'm not dead yet."

            "Not funny kitten."  Leonard said as he looked down at her scowling.

            "No but believe it or not I have had worse and if you don't stop giving me that look your face is going to freeze that way." She giggled when she realized the unintended pun.

              "Someone is punchy." Lisa added.

             "Anyway..." she continued as if Lisa hadn't said anything.  "I know him, he's relentless."  She found Leonard's worried eyes.  "So please put me down so that we can get out of here okay?"  She placed a gentle hand on his cheek. His jaw tightened as well as his grip.  He looked at her with a flurry of emotions. Emotions that he kept so closely guarded.

             "I agree that we need to move but I am not putting you down."  She opened her mouth to protest but he beat her to it.  "And there will be no arguments."  He drilled her a look that left her no room to disagree.  She clamped her mouth shut as he shifted her slightly and turned to look at his sister.  Lisa stood taking in her brother and his changing demeanor with a look of interest. It fascinated her that her big brother who prided himself on not having attachments, on being cold towards the world was being brought to his knees by the tiny bit of a girl he held in his arms.  He held her as if his life depended on it.  She wasn't sure what to think of it but she liked this human side of him. Leonard looked his sister in the eye and gestured toward the door.

             "We need to follow the utility road to the bottom.  There is a boat there waiting for us, but we need to hurry.  She's right he will come for us."  He nodded as Lisa opened the door and the three of them once again made their way out into the rainy night.

 

 

 

 


	13. The Court Of Owls

**Chapter Thirteen**

**The Court Of Owls**

 

            They hadn't gotten very far when they were meant on the path by a shadowy figure.  All parties froze for a brief minute as they studied each other.  It was the figure that finally broke the silence. His hand up in a sign of a temporary truce.

             "As I have said before, I am not here for you. I am here for another."  His statement was directed toward Sophie.  "He has caused quite a disturbance.  He will be dealt with."

            "Who are you?"  Sophie asked from Leonard's arms.

             "Today? A friend."  She could have sworn that if not for the obscure mask she would have seen a bit of a smile.  She could feel Leo's ever growing impatience but spoke to the figure before them.

             "You're here for my uncle that much I know. But what really warrants a visit from you?"  The Talon tilted his head slightly.

             "You should know better than anyone that this visit is very warranted.  He has angered the court child.  He will make payment."  She wanted to ask more, questions but Snart beat her too it.

             "As much fun as this is, we need to get her out of here."  The Talon looked t him with equal fascination as he had Sophie.

             "Interesting."  He spoke to himself and then back at them. "Yes your friend left quite a mess at the docks but the way is clear now.  You must hurry."  He glanced behind them causing all three to turn around seeing nothing. When the turned back the Talon was gone

             "He's an interesting one isn't he?"  Lisa asked.

             "Apparently."  Sophie mumbled searching the darkness but finding nothing.

When they finally found their way to the docks Sophie took in the number of bodies and destruction in their wake.  The rescue team was certainly doing their job.

            “Oh thank God!”  Abby said as she came running toward Leonard with Sophie still in his arms.  “Is she alright?  What did that bastard do?”

            “He worked her over pretty good.  I think she has a concussion.”  Lisa replied as she introduced herself. “Lisa Snart.”  She added with a nod.

            “Abby Ryan. Glad to see you safe.  I have the boat ready so let’s get her on board.”  She turned to led but Sophie reached out and grabbed her hand.

            “Thank you Abby.”  Abby smiled and squeezed her hand.

            “Well I had help and just to warn you I borrowed _his_ boat.”  She added as she smiled slightly at her injured friend.  Sophie managed to roller her eyes slightly, although it made her dizzy again.

            “Great, he has got to be loving this.  He has been trying to find a way back into my good graces.”  Abby nodded slightly.

            “He said he owed you.”

            “Where are our two masked friends anyway?”  Leonard asked as he looked around frowning slightly.

            “They went off after a few stragglers.  They wanted to be sure we weren’t being followed.”

            “Well to bad for you they weren’t paying attention too closely.”  A voice from the boat said.  Silas Monroe stood on the deck holding a gun in their direction. He had snuck onto the boat during the scuffle.  Leonard tightened his grip on Sophie even more. Hatred and contempt bubbled within him as he glared at the man.  Abby had backed up and Lisa had used the opportunity to slip away unseen to make her way around and behind Silas.  “I want to thank you for bringing me my way ward niece Mr. Snart.  You see she is more trouble than she is worth I’m afraid.”

            “Not from where I’m standing.”  Snart growled back.  Sophie felt her fear start to take hold.  She knew what had to be done.  She looked up at Leonard.

            “You need to let me go.”  He wouldn’t, couldn’t release her so he just continued to glare at Silas.  She tried again.  “Leo, please look at me.”  He finally did although reluctantly.  “This won’t end until you give him what he wants.  I can’t let anyone else suffer because of me.  I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.”

            “And I can’t let you go.  I would never forgive _myself_.”  She reached up and touched his face but they were once again interrupted.

            “How touching.”  Her uncle sneered.  “Now listen to my pet.  She knows the rules, don’t you?”  He added with contempt in his voice.  She shuttered at what she felt coming from him.

            “You son of a bitch!  You won’t get away with this.”  Abby shouted back at him.

            “Oh Miss Ryan, who is going to come and save you? You’re masked vigilantes? Both are rather…preoccupied at the moment.  I made sure of that.  Besides I have other ways of persuading.” He reached behind him to grab Lisa who had tried unsuccessfully to get behind him unseen.  He pulled her to him roughly with a gun to her head.  Leonard, at that point had finally put Sophie on her feet but pushed her behind him, one hand still on her as he pulled his cold gun with the other powering it up.

            “Let her go!” He shouted.

            “I’ll make a deal with you Mr. Snart.  Your sister for my niece.”

            “Not going to happen.”  Her uncle gave a bark of laughter.

            “You would trade your sisters life for that of a worthless street urchin?  Why don’t I believe that for a second?  You’re a smart man; let’s do the right thing here shall we?”

            “I intend to get them both back.  You have taken enough from both of them.”  Silas’s twisted smile wavered just slightly as his patience started to disappear. He jammed the gun harder into the side of Lisa’s head causing her to cry out slightly.  At this point Sophie had finally had enough and took action.  She just hoped she would be forgiven. On still shaky legs and slightly blurry vision she stepped out from behind Leonard and before anyone could react she stepped in front of him and out of his reach with her arms raised.

            “All right! Enough!  You got what you wanted!”

            “Kitten!  Leonard shouted at her at the same time Abby shouted

            “Sophie!  Don’t!”

            “This needs to end uncle.  This has to stop.”  She said as she calmly approached him ignoring the calls of her name behind her.  Let Lisa go and you can have what you want.” She was banking on Silas’s ego and need to possess her that he would take the bait and release Lisa. She looked her uncle right in the eye noticing his temperament, feeling his rage as she got closer. “I’m what you always wanted. Me, not them. You need to control me so now here is your chance.”  As she was finally in reach he reacted in just the way she had hoped.  He threw Lisa to the side and grabbed Sophie by the arm tightly, twisting it as she cried out and fell to her knees.

            “You always had a soft spot for others.  That my dear was your fatal flaw.”

            “And your ego was yours.”  She said barely above a whisper as she picked up a rock smashing it into the side of his head.  He bellowed out in pain and let her so.  She rolled away out of his reach and felt a new pair of hands on her once again as the picked her up almost one handed pushing her behind him.

            “Silas Monroe! You have failed this city!” An arrow went flying hitting her uncle and pinning him to the ground.

            “Don’t you think that should be my line.” An equally gruff voice said on the other side of her.  A voice she knew all too well.  She shook her head slightly as the Arrow gave Gotham’s own city vigilant a look from the corner of his eye.

            “Does it matter?!”

            “Speaking of ego’s.” Sophie piped in somewhat slurred.  If she hadn’t know any better she thought she heard a short laugh.

            “That’s what I get for saving you?”

            “Your dressed like a bat. Ask me later.”

            “Oh hey guys. Hate to interrupt this love fest but what do we do about Monroe?”

Abby asked as she approached the group Lisa a few steps behind her.

            “I have a few suggestions.”  Leonard said as he bent down to help Sophie into a sitting position, and pulled her close to his chest. She closed her eyes as she clung to him taking in his calming demeanor. “You’re okay kitten.”  He whispered into her ear.

            “You think this is the end? You think I will stop.  I will find you pet…”  He uncle shouted from the ground.

            “Someone needs to shut him up.”  The Arrow growled as he strung his bow once again.  Abby stopped him before he could fire.

            “Not like this.”  She said and looked to the other masked vigilant.  “You got this?”  She asked him as he nodded his head.  She nodded in return.  “Thank you.”  She whispered to him.

            “Just get them on the boat.”  Leonard picked Sophie up once more and the group made their way they.  “He’s all yours.”  He growled out into the darkness and the Talon suddenly came into view.  Behind him several more masked figures followed.  Sophie suddenly felt her uncle’s panic as he screamed

            “No!” 

            “Silas Monroe, your time in Gotham has come to an end!”  The Talon spoke.  The boat didn’t wait around to see his demise but she knew he would be no more.  She didn’t remember much about the boat ride over just Leonard holding her asking her to keep her eyes open.  They had just made it to the other side when she heard him whisper “All most there kitten.”  Then there was darkness.  The next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital with Abby, Oliver and Bruce by her side but Leonard and his sister had once again disappeared.

 

 


	14. The Poptart Caper

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Pop Tart Caper**

Six weeks later...

             It had been six weeks.  Six weeks since the incident on the island, six weeks since they had found Lisa, six weeks since Gotham and she hadn't heard a word from him. She had only been in the hospital a few days before it was deemed okay for her to go home.  She had indeed suffered a rather bad concussion along with a sprained wrist, and various cuts, bruises and in need of a few stitches yet again.  Her uncle was no more, Gotham was far behind her and she had even made amends with Bruce.  Her business had started to pick up thanks to the arrival of Ellie and with Abby’s help and she finally had started to make peace with not only her past but also with her ability.  All was well at least it should be and yet she hadn't seen him.  When Bruce had evacuated them from the island she was sent to the hospital and both Leonard and Lisa had disappeared.  She had assumed it was because of their criminal record but that time had come and gone.  Still no word, nothing.  He was gone from her life once again.  Abby had gone out of her way trying to make her feel better. Finally she had had enough and had told Abby to stop hovering. She had been left in peace since then for the most part. Still she was checked on throughout the day not only by Abby but also Bruce, Oliver and even Barry.

            She had just come back from her office where it had been raining once again and made her way up the stairs to the apartment.  It had been her first day there since all of this had begun.  She looked down her hallway and found the door to her neighbors.  When she had returned from the hospital Jordan was gone, his apartment lay empty until about a week ago when someone had mysteriously moved in.  She still hadn't met them but figured she would eventually.

            She reached her door, unlocked it and slipped inside. Closing her door behind her she deposited her yet wet again bag and leaned against the door closing her eyes for a moment.  She enjoyed the silence even just a few seconds of it until she realized she wasn't really alone. A sense of deja vu over took her emotions. She sensed more than heard a slight shuffle coming from within her apartment and then the smell assaulted her nose.  Someone was cooking in her kitchen...again.  She didn't want to believe that he might actually be there but after recent events she wasn't taking any chances so she found her baseball bat and headed in. In truth she was angry with him, angry that he had left her by choice.  Slowly she crept in carrying her bat and was meant with his back as he stood at her stove cooking again. She stood in the door way watching him, unsure rather to move or not.  He spoke then without turning around.

              "So are you going to try and hit me with that again?"  She tightened her grip and briefly considered it.

             "Would it do any good?"  She asked as she found her voice.  He finally took whatever he was cooking off the stove, turning it off and turning around to face her with a scientist didn't met his eyes.  Something had changed and she wasn't sure what and it made her pause.

             "Maybe."  He said as he approached her quietly and slowly.

            "Six weeks..." She stated.

            "I know."

            "No word, nothing."

            "I know."

              "Where the hell have you been?!"  He was in front of her now and she had to look up to meet his eyes anger flickering in her own.  He didn't answer as he reached down and took the bat from her grip and settled it against the door.

When it was clear he wasn't going to answer she asked another question or rather made a statement.

             "I thought I had lost you again."  Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

            "I know."  He said again causing her anger to flicker.

            "Is that all you can say?!  I know?!  If you know then why..."

             "I love you."

             "...did you go? What?"  She asked all in one breathe.  She looked at him slightly shocked, slightly curious and unsure if she had heard him correctly.  "What?"  She asked him again as he backed her up against the wall holding her in place with both his body and his stare.

              "Do I really need to repeat it?"  He started intently down at her with only a hair width between them.

             "It would be nice."  She was still angry and this seemed to egg him on further.

             "How about I show you instead."  He then bent down stealing what little space was between them with a hungry kiss. She gave in for just a minute.  She had missed this, had missed him but she was still mad.  She pushed at his shoulder breaking it off reluctantly.

             "I'm still mad at you."

             "I gathered." He added before he resumed his attack this time at her ear lobe.

              "So you think that every time I get mad at you this is going to work."  She didn't dare move but wasn't sure how much longer her resolve would last.

             "Is it working?"  He growled in her ear, pulling her close.  One arm around her waist the other on the back of her head tangled in her wet hair.  She shivered slightly.

            "Possibly."  She pushed at him again. "But I still need to hear it again."  He looked at her with a slow easy smile spread on his face.  Gone was the worry, darkness, and smugness. In its place was a contentment she hadn't witnessed since they were kids.

            "I love you. Satisfied?" 

            "Well I may have to think about that one."  He gave her a slight scowl which made her giggle in return.

             "Is everything with you going to be this difficult?"  She placed both of her arms around his neck.

             "Are you saying I'm being difficult when you're the one who disappeared for six weeks?"  She really wasn't letting him slid on this. He sighed and dropped his head to her shoulder before looking back up at her again.

             "I'm sorry."  He said honestly.

            "That's it? No explanation?  And you say I'm the difficult one."  He rested his forehead on hers taking a deep breath before answering.

             "At first I was afraid you weren't okay and I couldn't face that.  Then I made the decision that I could I couldn't exists without you. So I needed to make some changes. I needed to figure things out before I came to you a different person. People change; you changed me, made me want to be better. You made me feel again and I needed to figure out a way to keep that."  She continued to watch him, his eyes closed as he tightened his grip on her afraid she would disappear. He opened then and looked at her.  They were so full of emotions that she badly gasped in surprise.  Things that he had kept buried for years finally reached the surface. So much so that she reached up and kissed him as if it was the first time, the last time and as if it would be forever.  He returned it just as forcefully and when they pulled apart they both had a hard time catching their breath, his forehead resting on hers once more.

             "Just so you know both my sister and myself have moved in down the hall."  She blinked back up at him in surprise and then it became clear.

              "The mystery neighbor."  She stated and went back in for another kiss but stopped.  "Wait, those changes you were talking about?  Did you do something to Jordan?"  He looked at her trying to look innocent but she caught a hint of guilt.             "Leo...?"  She warned.

            "I didn't touch him."  She looked at him unconvinced.  He rolled his eyes slightly.             "Give me a little credit.  I just strongly recommended to him that he stay away from something that's not his."

             "Something not his?" She questioned in a teasing tone.  "See I knew you were jealous."  He scolded which caused her to giggle again.  "Oh wait I forgot you don't get jealous just possessive right?"  Her arms where around his neck again.

             "I protect what's mine." He kissed her again, pulling her close again but yet again she pulled away and he groaned in frustration.

             "So, you moved in down the hall? Why?"

            "Why do you think? Besides it's mostly for Lisa since I figure I will be here most of the time."  She looked up at him with a mischievous look.

             "You think I'm just going to let you stay here?  Just like that?"

            "You don't have a choice kitten.  Oh already made room in your closet."

             "And when exactly did you have time to do that?"

             "Today, when you were gone. Picked up some real food too and this."  He said as he reached over the counter and pulled out a box of portrays. She pulled away in excitement.

              "Ooo, chocolate chip cookie dough!? Those are hard to find."

             "I noticed. Leave it to you to get excited over something like that."  He said pointing at the box she held clutched to her chest.

            "What is that supposed to mean?"  She asked suspiciously.

             "Just that most girls are happy with candy and flowers.  You, you want a box of two seventy five  fake fruit covered in sugar wrapped in foil."

             "There are over a hundred different flavors out there. Someone needs to try them all."  He took the box from her hand and placed them back up on the counter. He pulled her into his arms once more and looked down at her with a serious look.

            "I'm sorry. I should have come to see you sooner. I couldn't bear not being with you, so I needed to be sure that I never had to leave you again."  She lay her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat, a heart that beat for her, and wrapped her arms around him.  He returned the hug feeling completely content for the first time ever.

             "I'm never leaving you again either."  She whispered as she looked up at him.  He kissed her once more this time more gentle and when she pulled away he spoke.

              "You know I told you that I love you and I know you know that you love me too but you haven't actually said it yourself."

            "Oh, so you're keeping score now?"  She asked teasing him.  He looked at her with a raised eyebrow which made her laugh.  "Oh alright, I love you too."  He smiled down at her.

             "I know, but there are a few things you need to know about me."  She looked at him with concern.  "Don't look so worried. I just need you to be aware that I have never been considered a _good guy_.  I'm a thief and always will be.  I have hurt people before but I can promise that I will never hurt you. Because of you, you helped me become a human being again.  I can promise you that I will try to be better but I can't promise you it will be easy."

              "Nothing worth anything is ever easy and I love you dispute all of what you are." He smiled down at her with an easy smile.

               "I really don't deserve you."  She placed her hands on either side of his face and really looked into his eyes.

              "Let me be the judge of that my love. Let me show you just how much you deserve.

 

            The next morning she stood at her stove cooking eggs in a frying pan.  A smile on her lips that just wouldn't go away.  She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she jumped slightly as a pair of arms came around her taking the frying pan handle with one hand and her utensil with the other.

             "Carefully sweetheart or you'll burn us down."  Leo whispered in her ear as he kissed it slightly.  She felt her face grow warm with embarrassment.

            "I thought I would give cooking a try."

             "Not your best talent kitten so let's try something you’re good at."  He teased her as he took her by the waist and moved her down the counter and opened the cupboard above them.  Inside was multiple boxes of portrays in multiple flavored.  She gasped.

            "Where did they all come from?"  She then looked down at the newspaper in front of her. The headline read "Pop Tart Caper strikes again."  She scanned the article that stated several convenience stores had several shipments of pop tarts gone missing.  At that time there were no suspects.  She wanted to laugh but didn't think she should.  She felt his guilt suddenly and looked up at him.  His face said it all.  She burst out laughing to the point that tears were running down her face.  He looked back at her and crossed his arms.

              "It’s not that funny McAllister."

             "You're the Pop Tart Caper?"

             "Well me and Mick."  She laughed even harder.  "I had to promise him some in return."

             "Oh Leo."  She said as her laughter died down.  "No one has stolen pop tarts for me before."

             "It was supposed to be romantic."  She went to him and put her arms around his neck.

             "It was and I love you for it but you don't need to steal anything for me. You already have me."

             "The only thing worth stealing away was you."

            "You didn't really have to try that hard in the beginning."  He smiled down at her. It was an easy smile that meant his eyes.  Something she was not use to seeing.

             "But that was half the fun and kidnapping you was one of the best bad decisions I ever made. And if I had to do it all over again I'm not sure I would change a thing."

             "Not even the black eye I gave you?"  She asked touching the area it had once been.

            "Not even then."  He kissed her yet again with just as much passion and possession as the night before.

             "We have about an hour before my sister gets here."  He said to her after he pulled away leaving her with that all too familiar feeling running through her body.  She blinked up at him in slight concussion.

             "What?"  She questioned slightly.

             "My sister.  She is so excited about getting a new member added to our family that I had to threaten her to stay away.  Until at least the first twelve hours, so that gives us only an hour before she comes knocking on our door.

             "I would suggest a lock but if she is anything like her big brother that won't keep her out long."

             "Nope, so less talking and get over here."  He demanded as he pulled her closer and she went willingly back into the bedroom.  She knew from that moment on things would be different, better. For she had finally gotten her true family back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N So seriously I cried as I wrote this. These two have been through so much that they truly deserve a happy ending don't you think. And any Pop Tart references was deeply researched because we all suffer for our craft right?


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